unearthed - May 2006

Ticket price lowered to 50 cents

Effective December 1, 2006, SSOCOF members will pay 50 cents for each locate ticket they receive, a three-cent price reduction approved by the Sunshine State One Call of Florida, Inc. (SSOCOF) board of directors at its July 2006 board meeting. Concurrent price reductions will also occur with positive response system late notices and duplicate tickets bringing them to 49 cents and 25 cents respectively.

Late notices are generated when a member does not provide a status code to the positive response system within two full business days (ten days for underwater tickets).

The three-cent ticket price reduction represents a 5.6% decrease in the current ticket price of 53 cents and a 41.1% reduction from the standard ticket price of 85 cents that was in effect when the call center became an in-house operation in January 1999.

The ticket price reduction will be reflected in the December 31^st statement you will receive early in January.

November 24th deadline for service area updates

November 24, 2006 is the final day for members to review the proposed changes to their service areas and accept or reject the system-recommended service area changes proposed as a result of the new map data import. Any member service areas that are not verified by November 24th will be INCREASED to include the proposed additions to the service area. Update now and avoid the last minute rush.
The following counties are using county data for the first time and may contain major updates: Alachua, Clay, Escambia, Hardee, Highlands, Marion and Sumter.

Visit our website for more information: http://www.callsunshine.com/corp/new/mapping4.html.

Dig ticket automation, FREE!

IRTHNet is the new, web-based ticket management system SSOCOF members can use, free, to take the hassle out of managing locate tickets. With IRTHNet, you can forget about new hardware, software, and extensive IT involvement. Your current computer and Internet access are all you need to access IRTHNet tools at your convenience.

Why use IRTHNet?

It's easy to use and easy to set up.
It offers fast and flexible ticket searches and automates locate ticket handling.
Reduces paper and storage costs.

There are so many more reasons to try IRTHNet. Click here and sign up today.

Patrick Stanford, Cone & Graham, Inc., was awarded the Best in Construction Award, sponsored by SSOCOF. Cone & Graham Inc.'s performance was outstanding with a stellar rating of 98% for the Contractor Performance Grade.

In the area of Damage Prevention Best Practices, they met 10 of 11 criteria for Utility Coordinating/ Damage Prevention including requesting and updating locate tickets as necessary, holding a pre-excavation meeting, documenting and preserving the locate marks, providing contact information for all facility owners within the job site, avoiding facilities, adhering to federal and state regulations, and having someone present to observe the excavator's work.

Cone & Graham Inc.'s project contained a high density of existing facilities and proposed utility improvements that were performed in house by the utility owner. The project also included a joint project agreement for water and sewer improvements and relocations for Pasco County.

This project was also targeted as a pilot project to measure the effectiveness of the advanced relocation of utilities before construction. By working with the utility construction coordinator and the CCEI team, Cone & Graham were able to minimize the number of utility agencies and owners that needed to perform relocation work during the department's construction schedule. This resulted in a project characterized as high density utilities into a completed project that experience no claims associated with any utility agency or owner.

SSOCOF extends a special thanks to FDOT Project Engineer/Construction Project Manager David Hoover and CCEI Senior Project Engineers Barry Wilson and Brian Perry for evaluating Cone & Graham's performance in the category of Utility Coordinating/Damage Prevention.

We appreciate the partnership opportunity between FDOT, FTBA, and SSOCOF as we strengthen our unified voice to promote damage prevention awareness.

SSOCOF has stepped up its outreach to Florida homeowners this year to spread its message, Call Before You Dig, at the Home Design and Remodeling Home Show in Ft. Lauderdale, November 30 through December 3rd in the Broward County Convention Center. While consumers learn about the latest in products and services for home remodeling, we'll be there to remind them about the dangers of digging associated with some home improvement projects. Stop by and see us.

Mark your calendars for The CGA Excavation Safety Conference and Expo, March 6 - 8, 2007, at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL. This is your chance to meet with us at our exhibit and learn about underground damage prevention.

The CGA Excavation Safety Conference is dedicated to underground damage prevention and excavation safety, featuring several industry-specific summits in addition to the Underground Safety Summit that addresses general underground issues. Each summit will be hosted by a panel of industry experts and feature discussion on damage prevention and safe excavation.

Currently, seven summits are planned including the Underground Safety Summit, Contractor Safety Summit, Oils and Gas Pipeline Integrity and Public Awareness Summit, Water and Sewer Infrastructure Protection Summit, Fiber Optic Cable Protection Summit, Electrical Safety Summit, and Private System Facility owner Summit.

The conference and expo will also offer more than 40 conference sessions, live demonstrations and hands-on workshops.


Click here to view our website		November 2006
Ticket price lowered to 50 cents Effective December 1, 2006, SSOCOF members will pay 50 cents for each locate ticket they receive, a three-cent price reduction approved by the Sunshine State One Call of Florida, Inc. (SSOCOF) board of directors at its July 2006 board meeting. Concurrent price reductions will also occur with positive response system late notices and duplicate tickets bringing them to 49 cents and 25 cents respectively. Late notices are generated when a member does not provide a status code to the positive response system within two full business days (ten days for underwater tickets). The three-cent ticket price reduction represents a 5.6% decrease in the current ticket price of 53 cents and a 41.1% reduction from the standard ticket price of 85 cents that was in effect when the call center became an in-house operation in January 1999. The ticket price reduction will be reflected in the December 31^st statement you will receive early in January. November 24th deadline for service area updates November 24, 2006 is the final day for members to review the proposed changes to their service areas and accept or reject the system-recommended service area changes proposed as a result of the new map data import. Any member service areas that are not verified by November 24th will be INCREASED to include the proposed additions to the service area. Update now and avoid the last minute rush. The following counties are using county data for the first time and may contain major updates: Alachua, Clay, Escambia, Hardee, Highlands, Marion and Sumter. Visit our website for more information: http://www.callsunshine.com/corp/new/mapping4.html. Dig ticket automation, FREE! IRTHNet is the new, web-based ticket management system SSOCOF members can use, free, to take the hassle out of managing locate tickets. With IRTHNet, you can forget about new hardware, software, and extensive IT involvement. Your current computer and Internet access are all you need to access IRTHNet tools at your convenience. Why use IRTHNet? It's easy to use and easy to set up. It offers fast and flexible ticket searches and automates locate ticket handling. Reduces paper and storage costs. There are so many more reasons to try IRTHNet. Click here and sign up today. Best in Construction Award presented Patrick Stanford, Cone & Graham, Inc., was awarded the Best in Construction Award, sponsored by SSOCOF. Cone & Graham Inc.'s performance was outstanding with a stellar rating of 98% for the Contractor Performance Grade. In the area of Damage Prevention Best Practices, they met 10 of 11 criteria for Utility Coordinating/ Damage Prevention including requesting and updating locate tickets as necessary, holding a pre-excavation meeting, documenting and preserving the locate marks, providing contact information for all facility owners within the job site, avoiding facilities, adhering to federal and state regulations, and having someone present to observe the excavator's work. Cone & Graham Inc.'s project contained a high density of existing facilities and proposed utility improvements that were performed in house by the utility owner. The project also included a joint project agreement for water and sewer improvements and relocations for Pasco County. This project was also targeted as a pilot project to measure the effectiveness of the advanced relocation of utilities before construction. By working with the utility construction coordinator and the CCEI team, Cone & Graham were able to minimize the number of utility agencies and owners that needed to perform relocation work during the department's construction schedule. This resulted in a project characterized as high density utilities into a completed project that experience no claims associated with any utility agency or owner. SSOCOF extends a special thanks to FDOT Project Engineer/Construction Project Manager David Hoover and CCEI Senior Project Engineers Barry Wilson and Brian Perry for evaluating Cone & Graham's performance in the category of Utility Coordinating/Damage Prevention. We appreciate the partnership opportunity between FDOT, FTBA, and SSOCOF as we strengthen our unified voice to promote damage prevention awareness. See us at the Ft. Lauderdale Home Show SSOCOF has stepped up its outreach to Florida homeowners this year to spread its message, Call Before You Dig, at the *Home Design and Remodeling Home Show in Ft. Lauderdale,* November 30 through December 3rd in the Broward County Convention Center. While consumers learn about the latest in products and services for home remodeling, we'll be there to remind them about the dangers of digging associated with some home improvement projects. Stop by and see us. SSOCOF exhibits at CGA Expo Mark your calendars for The CGA Excavation Safety Conference and Expo, March 6 - 8, 2007, at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL. This is your chance to meet with us at our exhibit and learn about underground damage prevention. The CGA Excavation Safety Conference is dedicated to underground damage prevention and excavation safety, featuring several industry-specific summits in addition to the Underground Safety Summit that addresses general underground issues. Each summit will be hosted by a panel of industry experts and feature discussion on damage prevention and safe excavation. Currently, seven summits are planned including the Underground Safety Summit, Contractor Safety Summit, Oils and Gas Pipeline Integrity and Public Awareness Summit, Water and Sewer Infrastructure Protection Summit, Fiber Optic Cable Protection Summit, Electrical Safety Summit, and Private System Facility owner Summit. The conference and expo will also offer more than 40 conference sessions, live demonstrations and hands-on workshops. This conference is still in the planning stage. To stay updated on the conference's offerings, visit http://www.cgaconference.com/index.html.		IMPORTANT DATES November 23-24 Call center closed for Thanksgiving November 30 - December 3 See us at the Home Design and Remodeling Show at the Broward County Convention Center December 25-26 Call center closed for Christmas January 1 Call center closed for New Years January 15 Call center closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. CALENDAR Keep in touch with what's happening at Sunshine State One Call. Visit our calendar for events, meetings and holiday closings and more information on the dates listed above. CAUTION: UTILITIES BELOW REVISED The revised CD version of Caution: Utilities Below is available for ordering. It has been reformatted to play from CD, eliminating the need to install on your computer. Anyone who has ordered the CD in the past will be sent the new version. To order, visit www.callsunshine.com and click on promotional items. The online version, course #0009235, will be available soon and continues to offer users one CEU toward a contractor's license. POSITIVE RESPONSE CODE REVIEW The SSOCOF Operations Committee is currently in the process of reviewing the positive response codes. Anyone wishing to submit changes to existing codes or recommend new codes, please email your suggestion to Harry Glenn. HOT LINKS Don't forget to order your October 2006 Excavation Guide. SAFETY TRAINING NOW OFFERED IN SPANISH If you would like to offer a class to your Spanish speaking employees, contact Sergio Clavijo to schedule today. REPORT DAMAGES The Damage Information Reporting Tool is available for anyone to use to report damages to underground facilities. For more information on how to use DIRT and sharing information with SSOCOF, click here. Contact us.

Survey helps improve service to callers SSOCOF offers a customer satisfaction survey for its callers to use to rate the service received while requesting a locate ticket over the phone and it gives them an opportunity to suggest any improvements. The surveys are reviewed by management and responded to as necessary. Complete a survey by clicking here. We thank you in advance for helping SSOCOF continue to be the best one call center in the nation!

Sunshine State One Call of Florida is a private, not-for-profit, corporation created by Florida legislature in 1993. Its purpose is to educate excavators and homeowners on the requirement to Call Before You Dig and provide a free system for the excavating public to notify owners of pending excavation activity near underground utilities. Last year, SSOCOF received more than 1.8 million notices of proposed excavation in Florida. SSOCOF offers free educational sessions to professional excavators and homeowners. For more information on free classes and other SSOCOF services, visit www.callsunshine.com.


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