The City of Decatur website announces the arrival of Smart911, a service now being offered by the city, which “allows residents to create a safety profile of vital personal and household data, including household members, photos, medications or medical conditions and even pets, which will be displayed to 911 call takers immediately when a resident places an emergency call.”

Here’s a bit more…

This safety profile provides more extensive information than is currently available on incoming calls and can contain the specific details that first responders can use to save lives.

Decatur Fire Chief Toni Dixon notes that Smart911 enhances communication with residents and also assists in locating them. “Knowing who is living in the house, the medications they may be on, and even pets that may be in the residence allows us to respond to emergencies much more effectively,” she says. “In times of duress it can be difficult for a resident to provide us with all the information we could use. Now, if they have a Smart911 profile, that information will be available immediately.”

Smart911 is a free service available to all residents and business owners and is private and secure. Safety profiles can be created through the Smart911 website, www.Smart911.com. The service has the added benefit of being a National Safety Database, giving residents the ability to have their information travel with them. While they may create their profile in their hometown, if they dial 911 anywhere in the country where the Smart911 service is active, their profile will be available to 911 call takers. Smart911 has been rapidly adopted over the last year and is now being used in more than 20 states, protecting more than five million citizens.

For more information about Smart911 email toni.dixon@decaturga.com or call 404-373-5092.

As noted in this week’s commission agenda (and supplementary materials), Toni Tolbert Dixon is being recommend for the open position of Decatur Fire Chief beginning July 1st, 2009.

Her most recent resume can be found on pages 16-21 of the supplementary materials and Peggy Merriss’ letter of recommendation can be found on page 15.

Decatur’s first female fire chief!  Very cool!

I’m thinking this could be a Georgia first too.  This National Report Card of Women in Firefighting (pdf) states that there are only 31 female fire chiefs in the country as of 2008.  Also, “Among the 350,000 paid firefighters in the nation today, the 2000 Census reports that women number slightly more than 11,000 or 3.7%.  This figure places firefighting in the lowest 11 percent of all occupations in terms of women employees.”