National Study Shows Only 1 in 4 Americans Aware of 811

By commongroundia

About one in four Americans (23%) are aware that 811 is the national call-before-you-dig number. A recent study was conducted for the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) between July 30 and Aug 2 and was compromised to 2,000 people across the nation.

The study concluded that more than half the respondents (52%) said they would either be somewhat or extremely likey to call 811 before a digging project. This is up slightly from a similar 2008 study that indicated 49% would either be somewhat likely or extremely likely to call 811.

Residents of the Midwest rated highest against the other regions for awareness of call-before-you-dig, 811 awareness and exposure to 811 advertising. Men outranked women in all levels of 811 awareness, but men and women are essentially even in their likelihood to call 811 in the future.

You should be sure to call 811 a few days in advance of your scheduled dig to allow time for the request to be processed. Once your lines are marked, you will know their approximate location and you can dig safely. Knowing what’s below will protect you, your family and your neighbors.

Learn more about the 811 program at:http://www.call811.com

Details about the recent study can be found at this link:http://www.commongroundiowa.com/811Awareness.pdf

Source: Common Ground IA

Call 811 . Com

Planning a home improvement job? Planting a tree? Installing a fence or deck? WAIT! Here's what you need to know first:

Whether you are planning to do it yourself or hire a professional, smart digging means calling 811 before each job.

Homeowners often make risky assumptions about whether or not they should get their utility lines marked, but every digging job requires a call – even small projects like planting trees and shrubs. The depth of utility lines varies and there may be multiple utility lines in a common area. Digging without calling can disrupt service to an entire neighborhood, harm you and those around you and potentially result in fines and repair costs. Calling 811 before every digging job gets your underground utility lines marked for free and helps prevent undesired consequences.

Source: Call811.com

Daniel J. Lucarelli Recognized for Excellence in Marketing

"Daniel J. Lucarelli is a speaker and writer of underground damage prevention topics, including 'Measuring the Effectiveness of 8-1-1', 'Bringing Stakeholders Together' and 'Common Interests, Common Ground."

    PITTSBURGH, PA, November 8, 2010 /Cambridge Who's Who/ -- Daniel J. Lucarelli, Director of Marketing and Education for Pennsylvania One Call System, Inc., has been recognized by Cambridge Who's Who for demonstrating dedication, leadership and excellence in nonprofit marketing.

Mr. Lucarelli is a high-performance leader with 20+ years of tactical planning and execution in Fortune 500 and start-up organizations. He has broad experience in developing businesses through effective product marketing and management, strong strategic partnerships, and advanced software engineering. He is able to conceptualize, design, develop, and execute innovative, powerful, well-targeted strategies and campaigns that deliver exceptional results.

In his capacity as the director of marketing and education for Pennsylvania One Call System, Inc. Mr. Lucarelli provides direction and support for underground excavation and safety advocacy through promotion of the 'Call Before you Dig!' message throughout the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He is a speaker and writer of underground damage prevention topics, including 'Measuring the Effectiveness of 8-1-1', 'Bringing Stakeholders Together' and 'Common Interests, Common Ground.' He is also a consultant to small businesses on marketing strategy and management issues, and specializes in implementing low cost 'think outside the box' ideas that raise advocacy, raise company awareness, and implement sound business practices in social media, online, direct and traditional marketing. When asked to recall his greatest career achievement thus far, he recalls contributing to a team that built a $40 million private carriage telecommunications business in four years. He pursued a career with Pennsylvania One Call System, Inc. because he wanted to apply for-profit marketing concepts and strategies at a non-profit organization to raise stakeholder engagement and advocacy.

Mr. Lucarelli holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Pittsburgh's Katz Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. A member of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Marketing Association, the Pittsburgh Technology Council, and the Common Ground Alliance, he has been recognized for his achievements with the Exceptional Leadership Award from the Mark-it! Madness Committee of OCOA (2010) and the MapInfo Corporation Meridian Award for Organizational Impact (2006). He is a Beta Gamma Sigma, Inc. inductee, the Gold Winner of a 2007 Service Industry Advertising Award, and was named the 2009-2010 Highest Rated Speaker by the Common Ground Alliance. Mr. Lucarelli attributes his success to his hard work. In the future, he hopes to influence marketing efforts at a larger nonprofit organization.

For more information about Mr. Lucarelli, visit: http://www.linkedin.com/in/danlucarelli andhttp://www.naymz.com/dan_lucarelli_3300330.

About Cambridge Who's Who 
With over 400,000 members representing every major industry, Cambridge Who's Who is a powerful networking resource that enables professionals to outshine their competition, in part through effective branding and marketing. Cambridge Who's Whoemploys similar public relations techniques to those utilized by Fortune 500 companies and makes them cost-effective for members who seek to take advantage of its career enhancement and business advancement services. Cambridge is pleased to welcome its new Executive Director of Global Branding and Networking, Donald Trump Jr., who is eager to share his extensive experience in this arena with members.

Cambridge Who's Who membership provides individuals with a valuable third party endorsement of their accomplishments and gives them the tools needed to brand themselves and their businesses effectively. In addition to publishing biographies in print and electronic form, it offers an online networking platform where members can establish new professional relationships.

For more information, please visit http://www.cambridgeregistry.com.

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Press Release Keywords:

• daniel lucarelli, pittsburgh pa, cambridge who's who, director of marketing and education, pennsylvania one call system inc,nonprofit, start-up organizations, product marketing, software engineering, underground excavation, safety advocacy, damage prevention, telecommunications

Read more press releases by Cambridge Who's Who:

• Patricia Morrison Receives Professional Networking Community's Highest Honor
• April Lauper Joins the Ranks of Leading Professionals
• Julie A. Thompson Receives Professional Networking Community's Highest Honor
• Howard L. Popliger Honored by Cambridge Who's Who
• Mark Wollenberg Named to Exclusive Membership Organization
• Christie J. Sposeto, RN, MSN, CLNC Honored by Cambridge Who's Who for Excellence in Health Care Consulting
• Evelyn T. Ranone Inducted into Cambridge Who's Who
• Margaret A. Jones Honored by Cambridge Who's Who for Excellence in Mortgage Management
• Mitchell W. Schuster Honored by Cambridge Who's Who
• Cordelia 'Cordy' E. Lougheed Named Professional of the Year in Writing

Source: Cambridge Who's Who

MEA complimentary webinar 2010: "The Mid-Term Election Results--What it Means"

Thursday, November 11, 2010
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Central

Join us for a stimulating conversation with Richard Boykin, Partner, Barnes & Thornburg LLP.  Richard spoke at our Executive and Legal Summit Sept 2010 on the Mid-Term Election Outlook.

Richard is a dynamic speaker who has his finger on the pulse in Washington.
Hear what Richard R. Boykin has to say about the balance of power in D.C.
Have your questions ready for a Q & A session following the presentation.

REGISTER HERE

Richard R. Boykin is a partner in the Chicago and Washington, D.C. offices of Barnes & Thornburg LLP, where he advises clients on government relations and legal matters. He concentrates his practice on the representation of significant institutions headquartered in the Midwest before federal legislative and executive institutions in Washington, D.C., and before units of state and local government in Illinois and Indiana. His experience includes appropriations, postal, health care, education, telecommunications, government reform and oversight, workforce education and small business legislative and executive policy.

You will receive access information once you register. Thank you.

If you have any questions, please contact Cecilia Luck at (651) 289-9600, ext. 118 or cecilia@midwestenergy.org. 

Preview of new "MISS DIG Law"

Preview of new "MISS DIG Law" midpa | November 5, 2010 at 12:23 pm | Categories: Uncategorized |

Recently, representatives from several DPA's attended a meeting of the Michigan Damage Prevention Board. The meeting provided info on the updated MISS DIG Law, currently known as PA 53 of 1974.

A lot of hard work and time has gone into shaping this proposed legislation. Feel free to look over this draft (below) of the new law and submit any feedback to MISS DIG by November 19.

Eric Urbain - eurbain@missdig.org

Bob Suits - rsuits@missdig.org

8-25-09 Act 53 Revision before edits

Key Steps in Filing Business Insurance Claims

If you know the right insider tips in any industry, your business is bound to benefit. And while I might not be able to give you your competitor's marketing plan for the next year or predict exactly when the next construction boom will hit, there is some insider information I can share with you about the initial steps your business should take when faced with the (usually dreaded) situation where you have to dust off and use your insurance. Working for years in a law firm that caters to both business clients and insurance companies, I know that, much like a seasoned football coach, the insurance companies have a predictable playbook when reviewing insurance claims. I also know that there are certain steps you should follow to avoid falling into the most common traps that can leave you without coverage for your loss.

1. Don't Wait. The day you learn of damage your business has suffered or of a potential claim being made against you, whether from an employee, contractor, or any other source, should be the day you put your insurance company on notice that you might need to use your coverage. The longer you wait to notify your insurance company, you give your insurance company more leverage to deny payment. I know there are a number of business decisions that must be made in regard to filing an insurance claim - like whether a claim would cause future premium increases or whether the economics of the deductible make the claim worthwhile - but you cannot allow those considerations to delay your contact with the insurance company. You can always withdraw your claim prior to the insurance company;s payment, and you simply don't want to put your business in the position where it needs coverage that is ultimately denied because you waited too long to send your notice.

2. Read your policy. If your business is like most, your insurance agent has sold you a number of insurances policies, and each policy provides you coverage for different types of damage or loss. That means that in the event you have to make an insurance claim, you need to figure out which of your insurance companies provides the coverage you need for the specific loss you face. While this won't be the most popular advice, the best way you can truly make the determination as to which insurance company you need to involve is to read your policies. The "definitions" and "coverage" sections will give you a snapshot of the coverage available under a specific policy, but your careful review of all the policy provisions will also outline your other obligations to successfully present your claim. Your agent and your attorney can assist in this review, but often there is no substitute for reading and understanding the coverage limits and requirements yourself.

3. Preserve all documents and evidence. Regardless of the type of claim you need to make, and whether you have photographs of damage, witness statements, or electronic documents, one of your immediate (and ongoing) obligation is to make sure that all documents and evidence relating in any way to your loss are preserved. The insurance company will usually not hesitate to deny your claim if you cannot review the matter for itself through preserve evidence.

4. Keep your business going. Even though your attention is diverted and inconvenience abounds when you have to start the process of filing an insurance claim, one of your other key obligations is to make sure the loss your business suffers does not get any worse. To the extent you can work around the problem and continue with business as usual, you should. Your insurance company will start to reduce or deny your claim if you do not make your best effort to minimize damage and get back to doing what you know best, even if only in a reduced or modified way.

If you keep these four key steps in mind when faced with the unenviable task of filing and insurance claim, you will have the insider's insight to eliminating common obstacles to getting your insurance company's full help.


By: Heather Marx, Partner with the national law firm of Hinshaw & Culbertson, LLP. 


Source: Damage Prevention PROfessional Magazine (free subscription- print or online)

Q: Is it illegal to remove pipeline markers?

-John Trimble, Sector

A: Out of sight, out of mind. The vast majority of America's 2.5 million miles of energy pipelines are underground, causing them to be vulnerable to accidental breaches and failures as a result of digging and excavation practices. As a way to avoid accidental contact with pipelines, markers are used to provide these valuable resources, and the companies that operate them, a sense of presence in the open environment and serve as a warning to others that a dangerous utility is in the vicinity.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) requires operators to ensure their pipeline rights-of-way are properly marked and identified for a variety of reasons, including to save lives and to ensure proper excavation practices are conducted in the pipeline's vicinity. In the absence of a marker, excavation activities in the area of pipeline right-of-way can have tragic consequences. Occasionally, PHMSA is notified when pipeline markers are illegally removed, causing a once easily identifiable right-of-way to look similar to other surrounding landscapes.

So why would someone want to remove a pipeline marker from the ground? PHMSA inspectors have encountered a number of reasons including homeowners or realtors attempting to sell homes adjacent to pipeline easements, developers looking to build on land in the area of a pipeline right-of-way, or disgruntled landowners unhappy with markers near their properties. No matter the reason behind it, removing a pipeline marker is AGAINST THE LAW. Anyone found guilty of knowingly and willfully defacing, damaging, removing, or destroying a pipeline sign or right-of-way marker can be fined, receive imprisonment for up to one year or both.

PHMSA asks you to protect yourself and others. If you observe anyone removing a pipeline marker without an operator's permission, remind them they are breaking the law. In addition, operators experiencing chronic problems with individuals removing their markers should contact their state program manager or regional PHMSA pipeline safety office to discuss ways to resolve the problem.

Remember, before digging in the vicinity of a pipeline marker, all excavators, including the general public, should call their State One-Call Center to ensure any underground facilities are accurately marked. Pipeline markers indicate only the presence of a pipeline and cannot be relied upon to determine its exact location. Additionally, there may be multiple pipelines located in the same right-of-way.

The One-Call process is designed to protect both people and property and calling 811 will connect you with appropriate One-Call Center. So Call Before You Dig - IT'S THE LAW.

-Damon A. Hill, Spokesman
Office of Government, International and Public Affairs
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)
U.S. Dept. of Transportation
damon.hill@dot.gov