unearthed - March 2006

The 811 launch is the biggest development in the excavating community in decades, but did you know that by getting involved in the campaign, you can protect y

ourself, your business and your customers? With available free materials, you can support the 811 campaign in your local market. The 811 campaign materials and tool kits are free to download and use by CGA members, national launch partners and professional excavators. Many campaign materials can be customized with your logo, and certain materials are available in Spanish. For more information on the Common Ground Alliance, visit http://www.commongroundalliance.com

Check email address book to ensure tickets, positive response notifications being received

Excavators who have elected to receive copies of locate tickets and positive response updates by email, need to verify that irth@callsunshine.com and irthnet@callsunshine.com are in their email address books or SPAM filters may block those items.

Chapter 556.105(1)(a)(2) Florida Statutes, requires excavators to provide a valid electronic address if available or a fax number to receive positive response updates. Excavators who do not provide that information will not be notified when positive responses are received and will need to check the positive response system before beginning excavation, 556.105(9)(b) and (c). For more information about positive response, click here.

Currently, locate ticket copies and positive response updates come from irth@callsunshine.com and SSOCOF members provide information on locate tickets using irthnet@callsunshine.com. SSOCOF advises all excavators to add irth@callsunshine.com and irthnet@callsunshine.com to their email address books for uninterrupted service.

New ad campaign joins Call Before You Dig, hurricane clean-up
Once again, SSOCOF is helping homeowners recognize the dangers lurking in their yards - especially when it's time to clean up after a major storm or hurricane. The ads below will be running in statewide hurricane awareness publications and on storm education websites through November 2007. To run a high resolution version of this ad in your publication or on your website, right click on an image below, select "save target as" and specify where on your hard drive you would like the file placed or email your request.

Print Ad

Web Art

SSOCOF's Damage Prevention Committee is currently conducting a review of the positive response codes used by a member or its contract locator to indicate whether an excavation site has been cleared or marked and any reasons why the area may not be marked. SSOCOF's damage prevention liaisons are also seeking input during presentations and meetings.

If you would like to recommend a change to an existing code, propose a new code or request a code deletion, please contact the liaison in your area. All suggestions will be assembled and presented for discussion during the next Operations Committee meeting. Note: All subscribers to ssocof@mail.callsunshine.com will receive notification of this meeting. Click here to reach the liaison closest to you. For a complete review of all positive response codes, click here.

Eight Florida locators were selected from several entries to represent Florida's locating community at the International Locate Rodeo held in Atlanta, GA this August. Each candidate was challenged to meet eligibility requirements including zero liable damages and zero safety violations for the 90-day period prior to entering along with an essay of their qualifications. The following individuals were selected:

Winners from left to right: Raul Ignacio, Jeffrey Sabater, Joette Higgs, Paul Donahue, John Manis, Christopher Stalder. Not Pictured: James Villarreal and Keith LaFontaine

Great weather served as the backdrop for SSOCOF's ninth annual golf tournament, May 18, 2007. Twenty-one teams gathered for a shot-gun start in DeLand, FL, all taking their best shot at winning the Harley Fat Boy, the hole-in-one prize sponsored by Arena Advertising. At the end of the day, no one took home the Harley, but several walked away winners.

The first place prizes went to the team of Earl Waters, Rocky Richmond, Jim Waters and Ethan Greenberg with a score of 56. Second place prizes went to the team of Dan Goodling, Alex Robinson, Tim Wilson and Bruce Findley with a score of 60. The team that had the most fun, Bryan Lantz, Lorenzo Jones, Armando Hernandez and Harold Concepcion, won a set of kids plastic golf clubs with a final score of 73.

The closest to the pin awards went to Jim Patton for hole 2 and Armando Hernandez for hole 16, and Jessie Spires took home the longest drive prize.

A special thank you goes to the sponsors of the 2007 tournament and Victoria Hills Country Club for their generous donations. Without them, this tournament would not be possible.

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