Page 3 - Mississippi 811 Magazine 2020 Issue 3

from the desk of
Sam Johnson
Record ticket volumes in the middle of a pandemic seems hard to imagine but Mississippi 811 has seen a 19% increase in June 2020 as compared to June 2019. Of course, our hard-working customer service representatives (CSRs) are still working from home and given the current circumstances there is no definite timeline for getting them back in the call center.
Rest assured, Mississippi 811 recognizes our responsibility to all of you. The owners/operators, the locators and the excavator depend on the accuracy and timeliness of data from our (CSRs). Our commitment to you is that we will not be your problem! We are available to provide the information you need to be successful and we’ll do it with a smile. Just give us a chance to do that by calling 811 or by clicking on the Portal at www.ms811. org.
You’ve probably heard by now that on June 25, 2020, Governor
Reeves signed the Positive Response Bill into law. Electronic positive response becomes effective in Mississippi on January 1, 2021. Contact one of our Damage
Prevention Coordinators to learn more about the impact of positive response and what you need to do to be ready when it goes into effect.
Have you signed up for the Mississippi Damage Prevention Summit yet? This year the Summit is back at the IP in Biloxi. I know there is still much concern about traveling and meetings of this size across the state. In spite of those obstacles, I expect this Summit to exceed expectations. Consider signing up early because I’m confident that you’ll want to be part of what is going on. I look forward to seeing you there.
The Summit is scheduled for November 4, 2020 through November 6, 2020. You can keep up with the sessions and related events at the Summit by going to www.mississippi. damagepreventionsummit.com.
Many thanks to our growing number of supporters of this magazine. Whether you are in the retail side of this industry or in the utility side trying to reach folks who can damage your facility; this is the publication to be in. It reaches the people you want to reach. If you haven’t made the decision to advertise with us yet, I hope you will reconsider and give us a call. You’ll be glad you did!
Dig safely...
Sam Johnson
President Mississippi 811
2020, Issue 3
Mississippi 811 • 1