Page 10 - Texas811 Magazine 2021 Issue 2

By Jennifer Pratt, Program Manager Damage Prevention Council of Texas
Alot has happened so far in 2021, including an unprecedented and prolonged February ice storm that resulted in a major disaster declaration by Governor Greg Abbott, forcing most Texans to shelter in place and take refuge from the brutal, single digit weather. Already diminished from 12 months
of Covid restrictions, our utility members were
the most severely impacted with wide-spread water distribution and collection system failures, frozen gas processing and delivery equipment,
and overwhelmed electric generation plants and downed power lines resulting in widespread power outages. A statewide “Extraordinary Circumstance”
declaration was issued by the One Call Board of Texas, allowing utility and pipeline operators to delay positive response to excavator requests for facility locates
as they worked diligently to restore services. Utility providers worked nonstop, rising to the occasion in the face of adversity and restoring many of the delivery systems the same week.
Now that everything has thawed out and we are entering our busy digging season, we want to remind our members to actively spread the message throughout industry and the general public of the necessity to connect with Texas811 before any digging project. Consistent and focused damage prevention awareness outreach is the key to reducing damages, so consider promoting our social media sites within your company and to others that you interact with in the field. Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn and consider sharing news from the field with our Program Manager, Jennifer Pratt. We need your help; we cannot do this alone.
The Damage Prevention Council of Texas had an eventful 1st quarter, holding our Annual Meeting
which included the 2021 Board of Directors election
and stakeholder award ceremonies. Learn more about the Annual Meeting in other articles in this issue of Texas811 magazine. We also explored how to get the most out of our email communications to ensure that news of DPC events, information, and updates reach the right people in your organization. To that end, we ask that everyone complete a DPC of Texas Membership Form in an effort to actively grow DPC membership and enhance communications. There is no fee to complete the form and you will continue to have access to all of the events, meetings, and information from
the DPC of Texas. You can visit our website at www. dpcoftexas.org and click on “Become A Member” under the “About” tab.
If you need additional information, would like
to volunteer for one of our outreach committees,
or contribute to DPC social media, please email jenniferpratt@dpcoftexas.org, visit our website at www. dpcoftexas.org or call your regional Texas811 Damage Prevention Manager.
Damage Prevention
Council of Texas
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8 • Texas811
2021, Issue 2