DAYTON-County Emergency Services Director Lisa Caldwell is leaving her position to go to work as a Subject Matter Expert for the Michael Baker Institute, starting Jan. 7.

Caldwell said the Michael Baker Institute is headquartered in Pittsburg, Penn., and works in the area of public safety and mapping with Geographic Information System Technology (G.I.S.) She said she will work from her Dayton home as part of a virtual nation-wide team.

"My job will be building relationships and providing support for the G.I.S. engineers, and to work as a liaison with our public safety clients," said Caldwell.

Caldwell began working under EMS Director Bill Peters as the Columbia County Emergency Management Homeland Security Assistant in 2004. At the time she was commuting back and forth from her home in Redwood City, Calif., where she was a 911 dispatcher. She held that post until 2009, when she returned to work at home in California, she said.

She became the director of the Emergency Services Department, in 2011, when the Commissioners moved the 911 operation out of the Sheriff's Department and into the Emergency Management Department.

Caldwell said she is most proud of the fact that Columbia County now has a recognized, stand-alone Emergency Management Department and 911 Dispatch Center, which has received recognition on a state level.

"Emergency Management has been able to focus on critical incidents without competing priorities as it did when it was under the Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's Office is able to focus on law enforcement, while Emergency Management focuses on the natural and man-made hazards and incidents," Caldwell said.

Caldwell said she worked with legislators to help change portions of the state RCWs and WACs, which provided additional funding for small counties.

Caldwell said that changes that are coming in February to the way 911 operates in the county. She said Next Generation 911 phone calls will no longer be routed on copper lines from phone companies, or from cell towers, but will rely on G.I.S. mapping.

"This has everything to do now and in the future with getting help to the appropriate place as quickly as possible," she said. "This is similar to how Domino's Pizza knows where you are, but without the pizza," she added.

"My heart and soul is always going to be 911 and Emergency Management," said Caldwell. "This is my opportunity to spend time with my family, while still providing support to 911, and Emergency Management."

Caldwell has offered to stand by to help the county transition to a new Emergency Management Director.