Mayor Daniel Guerrero gives opening remarks Tuesday

Attendees included stakeholders ranging from gas and pipeline representatives, professional excavators and locators, electric company personnel, communications representatives, and railroad commission representatives to municipalities. The atmosphere throughout the three-day event was full of energy.

“There was a feeling of excitement from attendees to exhibitors to speakers,” said Lee Marrs, President and CEO of Texas811. “There was a buzz throughout the halls as people were walking quickstep to get from one session to another.”

The event began with workshops on Monday. The first workshop featured a competent person training focused on OSHA standards and the safety aspects of excavation and trenching work. A second all-day workshop on the opening day of the Summit featured utility locator training, demonstrating the art of underground line locating and marking for even the most seasoned of professionals.

The second day of the Summit opened with an update from Common Ground Alliance (CGA) President Bob Kipp. Lee said this was a well-received session with the room completely filled with attendees eager to hear about the latest happenings at the CGA.

Allowing stakeholders from all across the state the opportunity to hear about what is happening in the damage prevention industry is one of the draws for the Summit, according to Lee. “The location is only about 4 to 5 hours from most parts of the state,” he said. “This gives people an opportunity to come to our event who might not be able to travel to a national event like CGA. They have the chance to network and hear what is happening.”

Sessions continued throughout Tuesday and into Wednesday. Sessions included such topics as: Meeting Challenges in a Bilingual Workplace, Using Tracer Wire for Making Plastic Pipe Locatable, a panel on Subsurface Utility Locating, Damage Prevention Reporting, Work Zone Safety, Ticket Management Systems, and Excavator Perspectives on Damage Prevention. Speakers also explored benefits of social media, online permitting systems, an overview of Chapter 18 Underground Pipeline Damage Prevention Rules, and PHMSA reauthorization updates. Demonstrations took place focusing on cross bores, vacuum excavation, ground penetrating radar, potholing

Jesse is vastly successful in sharing the message, so successful that other cities outside San Antonio are taking note of his work. “As a communications analyst at CPS Energy, I promote safety and do outreach for safety. From 2009 to the present, the number of hits to our gas lines has dropped by 30 percent.”

CPS Energy distributes electricity and natural gas to Bexar County and six other counties. “We have contractors all around the county and that’s why my outreach is so great,” says Jesse. “We’re reaching out beyond San Antonio, as well. I drive safety information about Call Before You Dig to the guys and gals working in the field, as well as to the folks at home with smaller projects.”

On the job, Jesse was encountering the same issues day after day. Property owners assumed that contractors had called 811, but contractors assumed that the property owners had made the phone call. “When it comes down to the actual project, no one has called,” Jesse says.

He also found that folks tend to overestimate depth of lines. “Think about droughts in San Antonio. When it rains, soil erodes and lines may not be deeply buried.”

So Jesse asked, “What other ways can we reach more folks?” He came up with new and effective solutions, which he began to implement in 2009. “One of the highlights of my job so far is a collaboration with the City of San Antonio’s permitting office. Before anyone can move any earth in Bexar County or in surrounding counties, they must pull a permit from the city. The city will not release a permit unless you call 811 and get a ticket for a relocate.”
Jesse provides an information safety packet from CPS Energy to include with permit materials. “Before the permit office came into play, we weren’t getting any phone calls. Now people call just about everyday,” he says with a smile. “We’re really excited.”

Often, folks call to ask him questions before they dial 811. “I tell folks, ‘811 is a free call to you.’ 811 is receiving more calls from the area than before. I know people are getting the message. It’s working.”

Still, Jesse knew there was additional progress to be made. Listening to the radio one morning, he realized that a radio station offered a built-in audience. “When I was talking to guys who were hitting our gas lines, I found that they weren’t getting full information at their level. You can talk to the owner of a company or to a foreman, but you need to reach guys who have a shovel in their hands. So I asked field employees what radio stations they listen to when they’re at work.”

Next, Jesse bought air time at radio station KEDA. “I record a spot that runs a month or two and also do four 50-minute live radio sessions during the year and answer callers’ questions. My message is, ‘You’re the ones who are trenching and digging up. Let your foreman know if the lines are not located. It’s safer for everybody.’

“My job is to put a small doubt in folks’ heads,” he adds. “If I can get field employees to doubt what is under the ground, they’ll call.” He includes a message for family members who may be listening to the radio program. “I say, ‘If you have a son, father or grandfather out in the field, please remind them to call 811 before digging.’”

Jesse’s innovative outreach strategy helps him reach a broad audience that includes field employees, baseball fans and DIY-weekend warriors. “We do television commercials with Texas Pipeline Awareness Alliance.” Now, he is highlighting the 811 message at home improvement stores. It makes sense to catch folks when they’re out shopping, he says. “I’m working with Lowe’s and Home Depot to hang key chains on their rental equipment and put stickers on shelves where plumbing products go. I have a booth at a spring home and garden show, as well.”

San Antonio has a small professional baseball league, Missions Baseball. Jesse buys time on the electronic scoreboard to share the message, “CPS Energy reminds you to please call 811 before you dig. It’s the law and it’s free.”

CPS Energy allocates $100,000 annually for outreach and media spots. “That’s relatively inexpensive, compared to having lots of hits on our infrastructure. We’re audited by the railroad commission every year on our safety and outreach programs, and the investment is one way to be in compliance with the commission.”

Jesse works hard, and is preparing to become even busier. “Smaller utilities have called and asked us to talk to their folks about outreach to their customers. I was asked to go to a Texas Border Damage Prevention Council meeting in Laredo to give them a rundown of things going on in San Antonio. The town of Eagle Pass called us. It’s very promising for all of us, and I hope that other entities will use our ideas as a tool for reaching their stakeholders.”
This communications analyst has learned that it pays to maximize all opportunities to heighten safety awareness. “In monthly bills we send to our customers, we include inserts with 811 information. If it’s going out, we might as well use that envelope to share the safety message.”
We salute Jesse’s vision and his innovative work in San Antonio.

It’s time to move on. I feel strongly that language affects behavior, and the language that we were using was sending mixed messages. While our presentations, advertisements, and handouts were compelling people to “Call Before You Dig,” in the next breath we were saying “But use our remote applications, GeoRemote and E-Locate, instead.” Mixed messages simply dilute your intended message.

We were focusing our promotion on the least economical way that we have to handle a locate request, and the least economical way that an excavator has to request a locate. I’ve sat with our Damage Prevention Agents when they are talking with an excavator and they are very thorough, as they should be.

They repeat the information back to the excavator to make sure that they are getting accurate information that is needed to fill out all the appropriate fields on the locate request. Then they proceed to the mapping function where two people, probably looking at different mapping sources, agree that they are defining the same area where the excavation is to take place. Our Damage Prevention Agents do a wonderful job, but the process itself is inherently more time consuming than if the originator of the request simply entered it themselves online with GeoRemote.

The challenge going forward is to come up with a new catch phrase that is a worthy successor to “Call Before You Dig,” but emphasizes using our online applications. I’ve heard “Click it Before you Dig it,” but that doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. However, I have faith that nimble young minds in our industry will coin a phrase that will encourage anyone planning excavation to “contact” their Notification center and request locates.

Remember: If you are a professional excavator, please go to www.Texas811.com for information on how to use GeoRemote and make more effective use of your employees’ time. If you are a Texas811 Member, please encourage excavators who work for you to use GeoRemote. It’s a savings for all of us.

Company cultures tend to be dynamic, organic and difficult to box; but when you put your finger on the pulse it is easy to tell if it is good or bad, and in some cases you know when you have something great.

At Texas811, wellness is a big deal. We have a fitness center with state-of-the-art equipment free of charge to all employees, and many of our employees enjoy incentives for participation in various wellness programs as well as free access to health and lifestyle coaches. We also have a clinic on campus, literally a 10 second walk away. The clinic is staffed with a doctor, nurse practitioner, and medical assistant who have received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from our staff. In a very short amount of time, the clinic staff has become a part of our company culture. Each of them is one of us, providing medical care to their own. It is also worth mentioning that all of our employees AND their dependants have access to this clinic at NO COST to them. Free.

Texas811 has also embraced the digital age to include social networking. All of our employees have unrestricted access to Yammer, which has feeds similar to Facebook. If you haven’t yet heard of Yammer, it’s worth checking out. More than 50% of our staff now works from home, so a great deal of communication takes place in cyber space. Through Yammer, our telecommuters stay engaged by participating in discussions, both business and personal, with their coworkers. Our leadership uses webcams to have one-on-one meetings and coaching sessions with our remote staff and all of our agents who work from home come into the office a minimum of three times per year.

At least twice per month, Texas811 conducts a Lunch and Learn in which we provide lunch and bring in speakers to discuss topics ranging from personal finance and wellness to topics concerning our industry. Additionally, we invite all of our staff to participate in meetings. A Damage Prevention Agent and Team Leader attend 99% of our meetings, from board meetings to staff meetings and meetings about the future of our company. Not only do they attend, but they participate and their input is welcomed and well received.

Continuing education and tuition assistance programs are available for those Texas811 employees who are interested in pursuing a college education. There are also programs in place for anyone in the company who has an idea or suggestion for improvement. With such an open environment, employees of Texas811 can be sure that their voices are heard. There are myriad other benefits to being a Texas811 employee that I could mention, but this is an article, not a book.

Some may be reading this and think that it is all of these great benefits that make the Texas811 culture what it is, but that is not the case. All of these benefits are investments in the people of Texas811, because Texas811 knows what other great organizations know: A great company and a great culture is about attracting and retaining the right kind of people.
Our culture is vibrant and robust. It does not tolerate mediocrity and negativity. It cannot be contained or controlled. It is what it is, and it is what makes this a great company of which to be a part.

The jackets will be given out throughout 2012 to excavators who dig safely and attend Damage Prevention Meetings in Texas. Also, companies that host a damage prevention monthly meeting will be awarded a jacket. CenterPoint Energy recognizes the value of rewarding our excavators that support “Call Before You Dig.”

2. Civil penalties that may be imposed by PHMSA are basically doubled with a few other relatively minor enhancements.

3. States are strongly encouraged to NOT exempt municipalities, State agencies, or their contractors from state one-call notification system requirements.

4. PHMSA has 2 years to establish regulations requiring automatic or remote-controlled for new gas and liquid pipelines. Note that the Comptroller General (another Federal Agency) is required by this same section to study the use of such valves in high consequence areas.

6. PHMSA is now officially required to provide copies of Part 194 (liquid pipeline) emergency response plans upon written request of any person.
Proprietary and sensitive information may be excluded.

9. PHMSA has 18 months to establish a 1 hour maximum time limit to report pipeline incidents to the National Response Center and to PHMSA. Additional information regarding each incident would be required.

16. PHMSA has 18 months to conduct a study regarding the risk of releases associated with the transportation of diluted bitumen. (Anyone care to take a stab at where this came from?)

21. PHMSA has 2 years to submit a report to Congress regarding the safety of onshore and offshore (including the inlets of the Gulf of Mexico) gas and hazardous liquid gathering lines. (Translation: Should current gathering regulations be revised and current exemptions altered or eliminated?)

22. PHMSA has two years to add distribution branch services, multifamily facilities and small commercial services to the Excess Flow Valve requirements in Subpart H to 49 CFR Part 192.

28. PHMSA has 1 year to conduct a study of hazardous liquid pipeline incidents at crossings of inland bodies of water with a width of at least 100 feet from high water mark to high water mark to determine if depth of cover over the buried pipeline was a factor in any accidental releases. If current depth-of-cover regulations are found inadequate, PHMSA would have an additional year to “develop legislative recommendations.”

To get the full flavor, you need to read the entire PSA of 2011. It is not perfect, but it is what it is and PHMSA has its marching orders for the next several years. We have already started working on it. Contracts have been awarded and new Notices of Proposed Rulemakings are imminent. Stay tuned, it is going to get interesting!

There was a little patch of timber across the road from our house probably no more than 10 acres total. There was plenty of hard wood and lots of squirrels. I was allowed to go hunting in that little patch of woods by myself. Auntie would always say, “Son, don’t cross that fence into the big woods.”

“Yes, ma’am,” and off I’d go. Actually hunting inside the fence was usually pretty good, but today was not a day to brag about. There I was sitting in my usual spot looking at my favorite tree and nothing was happening on my side of the fence.

But on the other side, I could hear hundreds, maybe thousands of squirrels barking. Some of them even sounded like they were laughing at me. I couldn’t stand it. I reasoned, “If I crawled under the fence to get my limit, who would know?”

Though I had heard about people getting lost in the big woods, it never crossed my mind that I could, even with the sun hanging low in the west. After all, I was going to stay close to the fence and I was only going to be in there long enough to get my limit.

When I crawled under the fence, I heard a squirrel jumping from limb to limb. I looked up, took aim, fired and down he came. Just a few seconds later, I heard another squirrel and I began walking toward the sound. I don’t know exactly how long I walked, but I guess the squirrel heard me walking and hid.
That’s when I first noticed it was graveyard quiet and getting serious dark as well. Then I heard the night birds rustling around in the bushes. I think it was then that I realized that I was in the big woods and in deep trouble. It was dark, and because I had been walking around looking at the timber, I wasn’t really sure where the fence was. I wasn’t even sure where I was.

That’s when it dawned on me. I was a goner!

I stumbled around in the dark until I remembered my old friend Dillard telling me one time that if I ever got lost the best thing to do was to stay calm, sit down and pick out a landmark and walk to it. That part about staying calm was easier when I was on Dillard’s front porch. But I did sit down and began to peer through the ever increasing black night.

I knew that if I ever got out of this alive, my Auntie would kill me. Worse than that, she’d take my gun, tell our neighbors, the Shepherds and their oldest boy, Hugh, would make fun of me from now on.

Oh, what a tangled web I had weaved.

“What is that?’ I thought to myself. I could see the smallest bit of light no bigger than a lightning bug. I wasn’t sure where it was, but it seemed like a better place than where I was. I stood up and focused on that landmark and started walking. On and on I slowly walked toward the dim light that seemed so far away.

Each step was measured. I could hear things behind me that made me want to have a runaway. One step, find the light and take another step. Then I felt something grab me. It was so dark I didn’t see the barbed-wire fence that separated me from where I wanted to be.

I took one more look at the light, got down on the ground and crawled under the fence, stood up and found the light once more. I’m confident that was the feeling Moses had when the Egyptians were bearing down on him, and he turned in time to see the waters parting.

As I walked across the pasture I never took my eyes off the light that kept getting bigger each step. I soon recognized the 60-watt light bulb on the front porch of our house. I later told Dillard about how dim the light was when you were standing on the porch and how bright it seemed that night. He smiled and said, “The light was not there to see the house, it was there to see how to get to the house.” I knew that was going to be one of those things that I’d have to figure out when I got older.

So I crossed the gravel road to our house and got a “I’m so glad you’re safe” hug and then a “don’t you ever do that again” whipping all the way into the house.

But somehow it all seemed worth it to me. I had stared “lost” in the face and had the key to finding my way out. Now all these years later, I’m reminded that we don’t have to know everything there is to know before we can be successful. Just be true to the light you have and you’ll find a way to win.

“Hey Auntie,” I said while she was tucking me in for the night, “can I go over to Dillard’s tomorrow and tell him about how I stayed calm?”

“And oh, one more thing, let’s not tell the Shepherds. There are some things that Hugh just doesn’t need to know.

“Thank you Auntie… I love you too.”

My guess is that you answered “No!” to each of the above. Am I correct? Who in his right mind would want a low or mediocre performing team?
So let’s consider another question: Who is responsible for helping team members have the knowledge and skills to be successful? Correct. Supervisors. Whoops! Some supervisors have told me that employees should have the necessary knowledge and skill sets as a condition of their employment. I agree that would be nice. We also know the difficulty of finding high- performing talent.

So that leads us to wondering about those employees who are underperforming. Are you a supervisor? If so, I have another question for you to ponder and I want you think about it before responding. Are you willing to accept the responsibility of teaching your employees, including your underperformers, how to be successful? Pause … think … now answer.

I’ve asked thousands of supervisors to identify the number one responsibility of being a leader. Most of them respond with such phrases as “get things done,” “manage the assets,” “work safely” or other descriptions of their technical responsibility. Very few mention developing their people assets – which is their number one responsibility. If you think about it for a moment, people constitute your team’s resource with the greatest potential to develop.

Let me tell you a story that I’ve heard more times than I can remember. A supervisor complains about the performance of one of his employees. When I’ve asked, “What was the employee’s response when you discussed it with him?” What would you guess the answer is? “Well I suppose I should talk to him!”
Whose fault is it that the employee is not performing to the expected level in this scenario? When a supervisor points a finger at the employee, consider the fact that three are pointed back at him. A supervisor is not helping anyone by not having that conversation.

It’s confusing to understand why a company would not emphasize developing its people when considering the fact that people drive the company’s success. The fact is people must improve before the company improves. If you want a first class company, you must have first class people.

So where do you go from here? First, if you’re a supervisor you must embrace the responsibility to help your people succeed. Second, that means ensuring that your people know the results expected to achieve peak performance both in terms of their technical responsibilities as well as interpersonal performance. Note I said results instead of listing responsibilities. Of these two, defining technical expectations is the easier to discuss. For some reason, talking about interpersonal skills is a “sacred cow” and as such, this most critical subject is usually avoided. When that happens, everyone loses.

Third, people need a continuous stream of feedback to guide their performance. You don’t want them to be the blind hog that luckily finds the acorn. You want to help that hog fatten up to reach market weight. Providing feedback is critical for employees to become peak performers. Providing feedback is simply an accountability tool. Unfortunately, instead of viewing accountability as a teaching opportunity, many supervisors perceive it to be a negative event. There is nothing negative about helping people to succeed. Receiving feedback from a supervisor shows employees that they are cared for. We can look at this situation from another perspective. Is a supervisor helping anyone when he allows an employee to continue performing at an undesirable level and not intercede? Obviously not.

Take a poll among members of your damage prevention team sometime and ask if they want to be taught to be successful. My guess is you’ll like the results of your poll. Your damage prevention team is really a “schoolhouse.”

Utility operators across the US have kicked off April with a national campaign to remind residents, excavators and contractors of the state law requiring a call be placed to their respective state’s toll-free one-call center before starting any excavation project. This media blitz launches every April 1, designating this month as National Safe Digging Month.

Left to Right: Todd Denton, NuStar; Michelle Peters, NuStar; Mark Arguelles, NuStar; Chris Burnett, NuStar; Shakheana Fields, TX811; Lee Marrs, TX811; Jennifer Connally, Tx811; Dannie Cagle, NuStar; Wes Gore, NuStar; Not pictured: Regan Carriger, NuStar

The convenient location of the Wellness Center is a key factor for our employees. Going to the doctor has never been this easy! Being able to walk less than a minute from your desk to the Wellness Center eliminates much lost productivity. Previously, employees would take half days or full days just to see the doctor. Now, it’s as easy as going to your car in the parking lot.

It has been just over seven months since the doors of the Wellness Center opened. Since then, patients have been diagnosed and treated for many chronic health conditions, and even a life threatening condition undiagnosed by previous medical professionals. It makes us think, “What would happen if the Wellness Center didn’t exist?”

Word of our success has spread from our company to customers, members and vendors. Texas811 is currently in negotiations with a potential partner, which could result in extended business hours and possibly Saturday hours, too. Job applicants are surprised to hear of such a benefit and it has worked well in our recruiting efforts.

Texas811 has identified several economic benefits to both employees and the company. Employees using the Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) pay anywhere from $100-$150 for a regular office visit (outside the Wellness Center). Those on the Buy-Up plan, pay $30 for their office visits. At the Wellness Center, they don’t have to pay one cent for their visit. Within 6 months of its opening, Texas811 has saved $49,167.34 on office visits alone performed at the Wellness Center. It is estimated that another $10,000.00 has been saved on labs, drug screens, and supplies. The long term savings at the Wellness Center can be attributed to identifying and treating chronic health conditions before they worsen. Although we can speculate on exactly how much will actually be saved, our ultimate reward comes from knowing that our employees and their families have access to quality healthcare at no cost to them.