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Iowa One Call Officers, Directors & Staff
2010 - 2011
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President
Dan Klopfer
Des Moines Water Works
515-283-2610
Vice President
Ed Greiner
Interstate Power & Light Company
319-786-3773
Secretary/Treasurer
Neil Drefke
Spencer Municipal Utilities
712-580-5842
Chairman
Curt Hodges
Mediacom
641-842-2988
Directors
Charles Bruggerman
Iowa Telecom
641-787-2555
Greg Pavelka
East-Central IOWA REC
319-443-3564
Terry Fox
MidAmerican Energy Company
515-281-2316
Neal Drefke
Spencer Municipal Utilities
712-580-5842
Tim Flickinger
PAETEC
515-309-1135
Dan Childers
Interstate Communications
641-765-4201
Leon Hofer
Iowa Network Services
515-830-0441
Brian Poock
Northern Natural Gas
402-530-6607
Steve Stone
Black Hills Energy
641-792-1548
Ross Wendell
Qwest Corporation
515-286-6613
Paul Wiegand
Iowa State University
ISU Center for Transp. Research & Education
515-294-7082
Mike Wildung
Central Iowa Water Association
641-792-7011
Class B Director
Mike Heggen
Communication Technologies, Inc.
515-597-2294
Class C Director
Mick Secory
Consolidated Utility Services, Inc.
515-321-6220
IOC Center Manager
Nancy Jensen
563-322-2400
IOC Administrative Staff
Craig Walter - Administrative Director
Shellie Petek - Executive Administrator
Ben Booth - Manager, Public Relations/ Communications
benbooth@netins.net
Steve Halstead - Mapping Coordinator
stevehalstead@mchsi.com
Phone: 515-278-8700
Fax: 515-278-0245
Email:
onecall@iowaonecall.com
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Industry Updates
| Lessons to Learn: Articles on the Fatal Pipeline Blasts in Texas last month
One Call News from WyomingDOT Press Release |
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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
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by Danny Klopfer, President
When the "big snow" disappeared, excavators across Iowa fervently broke ground kicking off the 2010 "dig season" with great productivity. The significant increase in excavations statewide created a huge influx in locate notifications, and while call center operations were expanded to meet the demand, there were still a number of excavators who regrettably experienced unusually long periods of waiting "on hold." Iowa One Call appreciates the understanding and patience of those who were inconvenienced during this time. While maintaining system efficiency is an ongoing challenge, it is a primary objective of Iowa One Call and an area in which the IOC Board is intensely committed.
While Iowa retains one of the lowest rates of "dig-ins" (damaged facilities reported to IOC) within the industry, the IOC Board believes that dig-ins should be, and can be, significantly reduced. When compared to the number of locate requests called into the call center annually (approximately 400,000) the rate of dig-ins is roughly one percent. While statistics reflect a very low percentage of dig-ins, the reality is that there are approximately 4,000 dig-ins reported annually to Iowa One Call. To put this in perspective, each year these dig-ins represent 4,000 incidents that could potentially involve service outages, lost revenue, liability suits, property damage, personal injury, and even worse. The goal of reducing dig-ins in Iowa beyond the current one percent level will be a major focal point during the forthcoming Iowa One Call strategic planning sessions.
Having one of the industry's lowest damage rates is indeed positive, but it's simply not good enough. While reducing the last one percent of dig-ins occurring in Iowa is no small feat, IOC believes it is attainable. Undoubtedly, achieving success will take the collaborative efforts of all Iowa stakeholders, and Iowa One Call is prepared to lead these efforts. In addition to developing and implementing new IOC systems and programming, some outdated systems will likely be phased out. An already strong damage prevention coalition will be given more focus, including partnerships with the Common Ground Iowa (CGI), Common Ground Alliance (CGA), the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration (PHMSA) and the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB). Every excavator, facility operator and locator in Iowa is vital to the success of their state's damage prevention program, and each one will play an important role in the overall efforts to reduce dig-ins. Specific goals will be set and monitored, root causes will be scrutinized, system abuses will be addressed and dealt with accordingly, and new technologies and protocols will be embraced.
Together, Iowa stakeholders can, and will, make a difference by reducing excavation-related damages and the potential hazards associated with every dig-in.
More to come... Dig Safe!
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WHAT'S UP BELOW
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| by Ben Booth, Manager Public Relations/Communications
The old adage, "stop and smell the roses," reminds us of what matters most in our busy lives; the most precious and significant aspects of our daily existence. That people should need reminding of what matters most to them demonstrates just how demanding and often chaotic most people's lives can be. Simply put, we all need reminding at times...to stop and smell the proverbial roses. The same thing is often true of damage prevention. Demanding timelines and budget lines, planned and unforeseen technicalities, human error and safety hazards abound... it's understandable why some things may be taken for granted during the course of a typical project. The whole purpose of damage prevention is to protect what really matters.
Iowa One Call has embraced a new safety awareness campaign, the theme of which is "Protect What Really Matters," and features a full-blown statewide advertising media campaign - including television, radio, printed media and outdoor advertising. The same message will be presented throughout Iowa One Call's professional excavator safety awareness programming. For every professional and private excavator in the field, the paint markings which depict the presence of underground facilities should be a reminder of what really matters...a call to "stop and smell the roses."
A poignant message is made in one of IOC's current safety awareness PowerPoint slide presentations, in which one slide depicts a group of siblings - small, happy-go-lucky kids, their faces full of smiles. The next slide in the presentation shows the aftermath of a real pipeline explosion that completely destroyed two homesteads. The message is clear: protect what really matters. It's about our children, (your) children, our communities...our families. Preventing damage to underground facilities is in essence the safeguarding of life, health and essential services; a matter of protecting what really matters.
Professional excavating accounts for the vast majority of excavations occurring throughout Iowa, and consequently accounts for the majority of excavation-related damages. At just one percent, Iowa retains one of the industry's lowest rates of "dig-ins" (reported instances of excavation-related damages) but in reality, that low percentage rating accounts for roughly four-thousand dig-ins annually. That number puts in perspective the potential hazards associated with excavating procedures. Avoiding excavation-related damages is best accomplished through planning and diligent safety practices at the worksite. The planning phase of any excavation should always encompass what really matters and by law, the planning phase must include notification to the Iowa One Call System. At the dig site, the paint markings and flags serve a critical purpose. These visual markings are the cue for excavators to stop...and to remember what matters most in their busy lives - to protect what really matters.
Damage prevention and safety awareness is serious business.
Dig Safe. |
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OUTGOING TRANSMISSIONS TO IOC MEMBERS
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CLICK HERE TO VIEW LARGER IMAGE
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2010 EXCAVATION SAFETY AWARENESS PROGRAM
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 by Greg Pavelka, ESAP Committee Chairman
Plans are underway for Iowa One Call's 16th annual Excavator Safety Awareness Program. Although the name of the program has changed over the years, the overall message is still the same: DAMAGE PREVENTION.
The committee this year consists of Greg Pavelka, Brian Poock, Neal Drefke, Mike Heggen, Mick Secory, and Ben Booth. The committee has had its first meeting , which was a conference call to do the preliminary brain storming for 2010. Meeting dates and places have not been finalized yet, but plans are to start in January and end in March.
All the meetings, either at breakfast or lunch time, will be informal and free to the public - with walk-ins expected. The meetings at each location will be set up identically, and all excavators and industry stakeholders are encouraged to attend the meeting most convenient to their location and schedules. Meeting times run from 7:30am to 9:30am for breakfast meetings and 11:00am to 1:00pm for lunch meetings. At the conclusion of each meeting, participants will get a complimentary parting gift, and a drawing for door prizes will also take place. Underground facility owners are encouraged to provide hand- outs and gifts for the drawing.
Visit our web site and future newsletters for more information as it gets to the final planning stage.
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THE MAPPING CORNER
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 by Steve Halstead, Mapping Coordinator
Have you ever asked yourself this question: "How does Iowa One Call find out that a new road has been built?" Probably not, but as the Iowa One Call Mapping Coordinator, I am faced with this question constantly. Until recently, we relied on contractors and other interested parties to tell us of streets that were not in our database. Now we have a new tool that is helping us greatly in our effort to identify the missing streets. It's called "Map Notes."
Here is how it works: An excavator calls into the Call Center for a dig ticket. As the Customer Service Representative (CSR) works with the excavator it becomes clear that the street where the excavation is to take place is not in our database. The CSR simply touches a dedicated function key and enters the description of the street's location as reported by the excavator. A jpeg of the CSR's best estimate of the street's location, along with the description of the street's location as given by the excavator, is automatically sent to me.
I log the missing street (county, city, street name, and date) into an Excel spreadsheet. This allows me to sort the missing streets and to know where I have to go to start looking for the missing street.
The problem with this process is that in some respects it comes too late. We generally don't get a map note until a contractor goes out to the home site to dig a basement for a new home. My dream is that some day we will receive plats as soon as the housing division is accepted by the governing body, be it a city council or county Board of Supervisors. With the plats, we will know where the streets and utility easements will be located, which will be a tremendous aid to us when the construction begins. Cities on the grow, like Johnston, have done this and Map Notes from Johnston are almost non-existent.
Hopefully, utilities and governmental agencies can get together and make sure that Iowa One Call receives plats early on. That way we can all be assured of doing a better, safer job.
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This newsletter is published by Iowa One Call, Administrative Office, 9001 Hickman Road, Suite 220, Des Moines, Iowa 50322.
Copyright © 2010 Iowa One Call. All rights reserved. These materials may not be reproduced without permission of Iowa One Call.
Disclaimer: This publication is designed to provide general information in regard to the subject matter covered and should not be used as a substitute for professional service, advice or actual wording of regulations or standards in specific situations. The reader is cautioned that the publisher does not endorse or recommend specific manufacturers, industry standards or practices and reliance should not be placed upon the information within this publication without confirming independent research.
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