Editing Decatur, Alabama (section)

==Infrastructure==
===Transportation===
====Air====
Decatur is served by two major airports. The [[Huntsville International Airport]], in suburban Huntsville is the second busiest airport in Alabama, behind [[Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport|Birmingham International Airport]]. The city is also served by the busiest regional airport in Alabama, the [[Pryor Field Regional Airport]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/061001/hub.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525035720/http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/061001/hub.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 25, 2011 |title=Rivers, rails, roads, and air |date=October 1, 2006 |publisher=Decatur Daily Newspaper |access-date=January 31, 2010}}</ref>

====Roads====
[[Image:STMBTBLBridge.jpg|thumb|right|[[Captain William J. Hudson "Steamboat Bill" Memorial Bridges]]]]

Decatur's main thoroughfares are [[U.S. Route 31]] (6th Avenue), [[U.S. Route 72 Alternate]] ([[Alabama State Route 20|S.R. 20]]), [[Alabama State Route 24|State Route 24]], and [[Alabama State Route 67|State Route 67]]. 6th Avenue begins as both U.S. 72 Alternate and U.S. 31, and the two routes split after being carried by the twin-span [["Steamboat Bill" Hudson Memorial Bridge]] that crosses the Tennessee River at the north central part of town. SR 20/Alternate U.S. 72 continues west towards [[The Shoals]] and [[Florence, Alabama|Florence]]. U.S. 31 connects the city to [[Athens, Alabama|Athens]] in the north, and [[Cullman, Alabama|Cullman]] in the south. A portion of S.R. 67 is known as [[Beltline Road (Decatur, Alabama)|Beltline Road]], and serves as a partial [[beltway]] around the city. [[Interstate 65]] runs east of the city, and connects the area to [[Nashville]] in the north and [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]] in the south. [[Interstate 565]] begins in Limestone County northeast of the city, and connects to Huntsville.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}} Transforming U.S. 72 Alternate into an extension of Interstate 565 into the city has been discussed in the past.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/050613/roads.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930185738/http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/050613/roads.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 30, 2007 |title=3-year transit plan |date=June 5, 2005 |publisher=Decatur Daily Newspaper |access-date=November 9, 2006}}</ref>

=====Major highways=====
*[[Image:I-65.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 65 (Alabama)|Interstate 65]]
*[[Image:I-565.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 565]]
*[[Image:US 31.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 31 (Alabama)|U.S. Highway 31]]
*[[Image:Alternate plate.svg|20px]]<br />[[Image:US 72.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 72 Alternate]]
*[[Image:Alabama 20.svg|20px]] [[State Route 20 (Alabama)|SR 20]]
*[[Image:Alabama 24.svg|20px]] [[State Route 24 (Alabama)|SR 24]]
*[[Image:Alabama 67.svg|20px]] [[State Route 67 (Alabama)|SR 67]]

====Water (River)====
Large shipments can move from Decatur to the [[Atlantic Ocean]] via the Tennessee River to the [[Mississippi River]] and the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. The United States builds some of its space launch vehicles in Decatur (United Launch Alliance vehicles only), and ships them to both [[Cape Canaveral]] and [[Vandenberg Air Force Base]] via this water route.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}}

====Rail====
Decatur has two railroads, the [[Norfolk Southern Railway]], and [[CSX Transportation]] (CSX) main line, the [[S&NA North Subdivision]] (Nashville to Birmingham). CSX operates a yard downtown. Norfolk Southern main line is the Memphis District East End. The line runs from [[Sheffield, Alabama]], to [[Chattanooga, Tennessee]]. The rest of the line, west of Sheffield to [[Memphis, Tennessee]], is the Memphis District West End. The line receives [[trackage rights]] in [[Stevenson, Alabama]], from CSX on their Chattanooga Subdivision to Chattanooga.

Until 1971 the [[Southern Railway Depot (Decatur, Alabama)|Decatur Union Depot]] was served by several [[Louisville and Nashville]] trains (''[[Humming Bird (train)|Humming Bird]],'' ''[[Pan-American (train)|Pan-American]]'' and ''[[South Wind (train)|South Wind]]'') originating in [[Chicago]] or [[Cincinnati]] and terminating at [[New Orleans]] or [[Miami, Florida]], to the south. [[Amtrak]] from 1971 until 1979 operated the ''[[Floridian (train, 1971–1979)|Floridian]]'' that made a station stop in Decatur. The [[Southern Railway (U.S.)|Southern Railway]]'s ''[[Tennessean (train)|Tennessean]]'' served points to the east and west. The station is now a municipal museum.

====Transit====
The North Central Alabama Regional Council of Governments operates NARCOG Transit, which provides [[demand-responsive transit|demand-response]] service in the city. There is no fixed-route transit.

===Public safety===
{{update|section|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox UCR
|city_name= Decatur
|year= 2022
|violent_crime= 243
|homicide= 12
|rape= 21
|robbery= 35
|aggravated_assault= 175
|property_crime= 1,676
|arson= 162
|burglary= 181
|larceny_theft= 1,176
|motor_vehicle_theft= 157
|source_url= https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/explorer/crime/crime-trend
|source_name= 2022 FBI UCR Data
|notes= 2022 population: 57,922
}}

The Public Safety Department consists of the Decatur Police Department and Decatur Fire & Rescue. The Public Safety annex is located at 4119 Old Highway 31 in the Flint Community at the south end of the city and houses the Fire Department's administrative offices. This is also the site of the fire and police training facilities. The Police and Fire Departments currently cover approx. {{convert|130|sqmi|km2|sigfig=2}} in and around the city. Both the Decatur Police and Decatur Fire & Rescue are dispatched by the Morgan County E-911 Center.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}}

The Decatur Police Department consists of approx. 140 officers, assigned to 4 divisions (Operations, Management Services, Criminal Investigations, & Administration). The current Chief of Police is Todd Pinion.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}}

Decatur Fire & Rescue is an Advanced Life Support, full service department consisting of approx. 115 firefighters. The department currently runs 6 Engine Companies (with 3 in reserve), 2 Ladder Companies, 1 Heavy Rescue (which also responds as part of AL-TF3), 1 Brush Truck, 1 HazMat Unit, 1 Battalion Chief Vehicle, and several other staff and support vehicles out of 8 Fire Stations. The current Fire Chief is Tracy Thornton.

Decatur is also home to the Morgan County Rescue Squad, an all volunteer organization, who responds to water, cave and high angle rope rescues all throughout Morgan County. They operate multiple land vehicles, 4 response boats and several smaller vessels out of 1 station (also located in Flint) and 2 boat houses on the Tennessee River, with approximately 30–40 members.

===Emergency medical services and healthcare===
Decatur is currently served by Decatur-Morgan EMS, the ambulance service for Decatur Morgan Hospital.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Klapp |first=Caroline |date=March 16, 2022 |title=First Response Ambulance done taking ambulance calls in Decatur |url=https://www.waff.com/2022/03/16/first-response-ambulance-done-taking-ambulance-calls-decatur/ |access-date=April 7, 2023 |website=www.waff.com |language=en}}</ref> Air Evac Lifeteam provides aeromedical services for the city of Decatur and North Alabama.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}}

Decatur is served by two hospitals, Decatur General Hospital and Parkway Medical Center. Decatur General Hospital is a 273-bed, general acute care hospital and a 64-bed behavioral medicine hospital making it the third largest employer in Morgan County. Decatur General is accredited by the Joint Commission and its medical staff consists of more than 200 physicians representing 20 specialties. Decatur General Hospital is designated as a level two trauma center by the Alabama Department of Public Health. Parkway Medical Center is a 120-bed hospital that is designated as a level three trauma center by the Alabama Department of Public Health. As of January 1, 2012, [[Huntsville Hospital]] is the full owner of Parkway Medical Center. Parkway was formally a private not-for-profit hospital until their purchase from the public Huntsville Hospital System. Huntsville Hospital is the region's referral center and also serves as North Alabama's level one trauma center. As of November 2010, Decatur General Hospital and [[Huntsville Hospital]] are affiliate hospitals, ensuring the continued tradition and excellence of public, not-for-profit health care in North Alabama.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}}