Damage Prevention
Call Okie not only provides the communication link between the excavator and the utility owner/operator, but also must promote the damage prevention message. To that end, Call Okie has a Public Education and Damage Prevention Department.
The department is made of two Damage Prevention Managers that split the state into North and South. Also, functional responsibilities are split to allow attention to trade associations, professional organizations and special events.
Call Okie staffs two Damage Prevention Managers as the Public Education Damage Prevention department to work with volunteer groups of the Public Education and Damage Prevention Committee and six regional Damage Prevention Councils. The PEDPC acts as an advisory committee to Call Okie to provide advice, direction and industry input for items concerning Damage Prevention.
The mission of the PEDPC is: “To promote safety and damage prevention of Oklahoma underground utilities through public education”.
Damage Prevention Organization
PUBLIC EDUCATION DAMAGE PREVENTION COMMITTEE
The PEDPC is also otherwise known as “Oklahoma Common Ground” which is a member of the Common Ground Alliance regional partner committee. The CGA regional partner committee meets on a regular basis to discuss issues of importance to the national damage prevention issue. Information about CGA and the Regional Partner Committee can be found at www.commongroundalliance.com.
Though the PEDPC members are volunteers, they provide critical information to Call Okie to assist in overall operations. Being members of Call Okie they have an opportunity to provide guidance towards its operation.
Damage Prevention Councils
The six regional DPCs are geographically organized the same as the six tourism “countries” in the state. The north part consists of Green, Frontier, and Red Carpet countries and the south part is Kiamichi, Arbuckle and Great Plains countries. Members of the DPCs are volunteers from stakeholders in that region. Stakeholders could be member of Call Okie, contractors, professional excavators, locating professionals, or any advocate of the damage prevention message.
The goals for these council meetings are to minimize damages to underground facilities and protect the general public. By encouraging partnership among the stakeholders, in training, ensures that all locators and excavators receive excavating requirements according to the CGA Best Practices.
- Promote excavation safety and protect vital underground facilities
- Exchange information about the industry, directional boring, one call issues
- Ensure all concerns and issues among the shareholders and excavators are considered
- Foster relationships with shareholders, excavators, county employees, rural water
- Modify or implement new changes to statue and procedures
- And last but least…Our goal is to protect the property, environment and the safety of the general public in Oklahoma
Dialing 811 to locate underground facilities before you dig is the first step to damage prevention. Excavation safety can be a complex process requiring communication and cooperation between everyone involved in the excavation. It is important to be committed to safety and to the prevention and elimination of damages. By Dialing 811, excavators begin to appreciate and understand that damages are preventable with one FREE call.
Contact us at 800.522.6544 to reserve your place in one of our councils today!
