Jim Willis, President, In-Dev Specialists, Inc.

Some people handle confrontations with ease, but for most of us, it is difficult and unpleasant. Utility workers are no exception and de-escalation is seldom the go-to response when confronted so backing down is rarely their first instinct. The good news is de-escalation is a learned skill, not a natural talent. Personnel who regularly deal with the public need proactive skills that allow them to understand when and how to engage, when to disengage, and when to escape the situation.

Session is part of the following tracks: 
Excavator, Electric, Locate, Trenchless Technology, One Call, Oil/Gas, Regulatory, Water/Sewer, Telecom, Public Works

AJ Clark, Locate Manager, Badger Daylighting

Locating complex oil and gas infrastructure is challenging. Congested, abandoned, unknown, and non-conducting underground infrastructure lead to inaccurate and incomplete facility records. This presentation shows how to use advanced locate methods and effective data management to create a continually improving Damage Prevention process. Clearly sharing gathered information with excavators greatly reduces line strikes.

Session is part of the following tracks:  
GIS, Locate, Oil/Gas

Jim Hayes, President, Fiber Optic Association
Tom Collins, Representative, Fiber Optic Association

Everyone knows fiber optic cables are being run everywhere, a necessity for supporting wireless small cells and 5G, FTTH/business, intelligent traffic systems and all the traditional metro and telecom networks. To reduce the cost of installation, contractors try new installation methods that may affect their coexistence with other underground utilities. We’ll describe what is being used and provide some insight into what it means in today’s world.

Session is part of the following tracks:
Excavator, Electric, Telecom, Public Works

Josef Rosenberg, Alberta One-Call Corporation

In recent years, there has been an increased push from One-Call groups toward a self-served, web-based locate submission system. While the merits of an increase in online requests are readily apparent from an economic standpoint, exactly how much economic impact can it have on a One-Call provider and their Membership, and is there any effect on the safety of the resulting excavations?

Session is part of the following tracks:
Excavator, Electric, GIS, Locate, Trenchless Technology, One Call, Oil/Gas, Regulatory, Water/Sewer, Telecom, Engineer, Public Works, International Speaker

Jim Willis, President, In-Dev Specialists, Inc.

Improving your situational awareness skills depends entirely on you. You begin to improve your situational awareness the moment you decide to take a proactive step in paying attention. Situational awareness training can be a life saver. And good training can help you become more effective at your craft and will provide insights into subtle ways to increase awareness and assess situations.

Session is part of the following tracks:
Excavator, Electric, GIS, Locate, Trenchless Technology, One Call, Oil/Gas, Regulatory, Water/Sewer, Telecom, Engineer, Public Works, International Speaker

Cliff Meidl, President, Cliff Meidl Enterprises, LLC

Cliff Meidl is a national motivational and safety speaker. In this session, Cliff shares his remarkable story of resilience surviving a near-death electrical accident and persevering on to become a two-time Olympic athlete. Cliff’s true passion is to inspire others to always work safe and be the best they can be. He believes creating a safety culture of best practices and trust can lead our industry to excellence, save lives and continue to reduce damages to underground infrastructure.

Session is part of the following tracks:
Electric

Lori Warner, Public Safety Coordinator, Xcel Energy 
Tracey Bryant, Manager – Damage Prevention & Public Awareness, Vectren
Bill Stephens, Senior Manager Compliance Codes & Standards, Black Hills Energy
Courtney Jordt, Damage Prevention Specialist, ‘PG&E

Federal code requires gas operators to communicate safety information about their product to the public. But how effective is the industry in communicating 811, leak recognition, and leak response safety messages to excavators? Which companies are most effective and what can we learn to improve public safety nationwide? Attend to learn more about DPAC, the survey benchmarking findings and next efforts of DPAC. The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion with members addressing the value DPAC brings to their organization’s public awaFederal code requires gas operators to communicate safety information about their product to the public. But how effective is the industry in communicating 811, leak recognition, and leak response safety messages to excavators? Which companies are most effective and what can we learn to improve public safety nationwide? Attend to learn more about DPAC, the survey benchmarking findings and next efforts of DPAC. The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion with members addressing the value DPAC brings to their organization’s public awareness efforts.

Session is part of the following tracks:
Electric, Oil/Gas, Regulatory