Partnership with 811 and One Call Centers
Paradigm could not achieve our pipeline safety initiatives without support from pipeline operators, participation from emergency responders, and full cooperation from – and coordination with – One Call systems in several states.
The partnership with such One Call systems as Tennessee 811, Texas 811, Kansas 811 and JULIE (Joint Utility Locating Information for Excavators) in Illinois enables Paradigm to reach more excavators through its Coordinated Response Exercises for Excavators (CoRE-EX) in numerous states. It also increases awareness of the importance of calling 811 before any digging or excavation project.
“Our partnership with Paradigm has been beneficial for our One Call notification center and members of the excavation community,” said Kevin Chmura, director of public relations for JULIE, Inc. “With their support and industry expertise, we are successfully reaching more excavators across (Illinois). In fact, we received and processed a record 1.56 million locate requests in 2019.”
Paradigm consistently seeks out relationships with 811 systems, which become equal partnerships benefitting both entities. While Paradigm often calls on One Call organizations to provide a safe-digging-themed message at our meetings across the United States, our Call 811 partners are aided by Paradigm’s expansive knowledge of RP 1162.
“It became clear that just as our members respected us as experts in damage prevention, we needed an expert we could trust in public awareness compliance,” said Tennessee 811 Public Awareness Manager Craig Ingram. “Paradigm was a natural fit because they already had an established presence in the state, and they brought expertise in emergency response that is beyond our mission as a One Call.
Our abilities to assist One Call organizations often expands beyond traditional methods. In Kansas, we team with Kansas 811 to host the Kansas 811 Run each summer, benefiting a local non-profit, and we also utilize multimedia efforts, such as website building a video production, to stress and spread the importance of calling 811.
“Paradigm is able to bring more people in other than just contractors,” said Russ Baxter, Kansas 811 public relations coordinator. “The media part is huge, the public outreach to get more people involved. It’s a one-stop shop. We can get printing if we need printing and get other things we need. (The partnership) benefits us by giving us a new and broader audience. More people learn about 811 and the importance of it. It’s very important, and Paradigm goes over and above.”
Published April 2020
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