2016 GSOC Annual Report
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- Created: Tuesday, 28 February 2017 09:30
- Written by Gopher State One Call
Click here to download the PDF.
A note from our COO:
Dear Minnesota Underground Safety Stockholders,
It is hard to believe that we have turned the corner and moved into another new year. 2017 brings opportunities for Damage Prevention meetings, trainings, seminars, events, locate requests, locate requests, and more locate requests. For 2016, GSOC ended with a total of 787,593 tickets, a 2.9% increase over 2015. The bumpy beginning in 2016, due to the transition to a new call center and a new electronic ticket system, settled down thanks to the assistance of many MNCGA members. GSOC supported underground safety public awareness and training by participating in over 35 Damage Prevention meetings, training over 2,500 individuals on the new electronic ticket system at the end of 2015 and into 2016, and participating in numerous events. GSOC public awareness efforts included trade shows such as the Northern Green Expo, the Minneapolis Home and Garden Show, Farm Fest, MN State Fair, Big Iron Farm Show, MN 811 Run/Walk, and Day of the Dozers. GSOC also launched a state wide digital media public awareness campaign.
Celebrating 10 years of 811
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- Created: Tuesday, 14 February 2017 09:24
- Written by Lareina Taing
In 2007, the Common Ground Alliance (CGA), a member-driven association that promotes the safety of underground facilities, spearheaded the 811 National Awareness Campaign. 2017 marks the 10th anniversary of this important achievement for the underground damage prevention industry!
When 811 became the universal three-digit dial code for America’s one call centers, it set the stage for the creation of safe digging efforts that could be easily recognized by professional excavators and homeowners across the country. To assist stakeholders with the planning of 811 events and media material, the CGA created an online toolkit with approved logos, press release templates, and other materials.
2017 MN Damage Prevention Meetings
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- Created: Monday, 06 February 2017 09:09
- Written by Gopher State One Call
Every year, the Minnesota Common Ground Alliance (MNCGA), the Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety (MNOPS), and Gopher State One Call (GSOC) work with local utility coordinating committees to host free damage prevention meetings throughout March and April. These educational meetings review safe digging practices designed to protect our state’s underground infrastructure. They provide important reminders for the excavating public before the spring digging season begins.
During the meetings, each of the three sponsors focus on different areas. The MNCGA encourages industry stakeholders to join their organization to help raise damage prevention awareness, while GSOC covers any processing changes, updates, and common mistakes or errors made on locate tickets. MNOPS elaborates on case studies, frequent complications found in the eld, and excavation rules and regulations in Minnesota.
In 2017, there will be 32 meetings held throughout the state. To see dates and locations select the read more link below.
IMAP: An Online Database Management System
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- Created: Monday, 09 January 2017 07:31
- Written by Lareina Taing
Gopher State One Call (GSOC) would like to remind all Facility Operators to update and confirm their notification areas for their respective utility companies. Take some time early in 2017 to verify that all your company’s information in the GSOC system is up-to-date. Making sure your notification area database coverage and company contact information is correct will help prevent damages to your organization’s underground infrastructure.
Facility Operators can use IMAP, an easy-to-use online database management application, to manage their notification area databases. Users can view, add, modify, and delete active notification polygons with this tool. Available 24/7, Facility Operators can use IMAP to effectively and efficiently manage their company’s notification information.
2017 Northern Midwest Users' Group Meeting
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- Created: Monday, 02 January 2017 08:57
- Written by Lareina Taing
Gopher State One Call (GSOC) invites Facility Operators to attend the first ever Northern Midwest Users’ Group Meeting! One Call Concepts, Inc. (OCC) will be hosting the event customized for three notification centers- GSOC, Iowa One Call (IOC), and North Dakota One Call (NDOC). The Northern Users’ Group Meeting was developed to bring together Facility Operators from states with similar geographies, seasons, shared contractors, and initiatives and provide them with a forum to network with their peers, while learning about the OCC products and services available to them.
The meeting is scheduled to start at 1:00 pm on Thursday, February 2nd and close at noon on Friday, February 3rd at the Hilton Minneapolis St. Paul Airport Mall of America. Attendees who might not have the time or resources to attend extended industry meetings and conferences should find the condensed and information-packed agenda ideal. The content of the scheduled sessions combined with the insights shared during the open round table discussions will provide a multi-state view of damage prevention strategies and suggest opportunities for new partnerships with other industry peers. Participants will have the opportunity to share their successes, challenges, and new ideas about improving damage prevention. GSOC anticipates that the meeting will help create relationships that extend far beyond the timeframe of the program. Read more for schedule and registration.