Page 3 - Louisiana

from the desk of
Brent Saltzman
Fall is upon us, and I am certain you are like me and appreciate a break from the heat as we wind down 2024. As the year comes to a close, know that Louisiana 811 is busy preparing for 2025.
As mentioned in my last column, we will be rolling out the latest piece of legislation in January with a Large Project Excavation & Demolition. We have been working hard outlining and finalizing the details of implementing this new tool.
If you are going to be involved with a large project lasting for more than
20 calendar days (such as road or dredging projects or a large-scale single address building project) you will want to take advantage of utilizing this new option. Contact our administrative team at https://www.louisiana811. com/resource-center for more information to learn more details and I highly encourage you to read the article in this issue outlining the basics of this type of ticket.
Another project in the works is a Pre-Design ticket type. This will specifically benefit engineering firms during the design phase of a project. It will also benefit our members
(owner/operators of underground facilities) because use of this type of ticket will prevent usage of a routine ticket intended for excavation and demolition purposes only. We have included a detailed article in this issue outlining how this process works along with a helpful flowchart.
There are a multitude of other projects in the works that we will be sharing in the coming month or so. To keep abreast of the latest news, please check out one of our many social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, X, or Instagram. We will also send out a newsletter within the next few weeks so watch out for more news to come.
I am extremely excited to share a couple of other new developments within our LA811 staff. I am happy to announce the promotion of Billy Forest to Manager-Damage Prevention! Billy has been on our team for over two years and has a wealth of Dig Law and utility construction knowledge. I am also happy to report that Raymond Sonnier has joined our team as a Damage Prevention Coordinator reporting to Billy. Raymond has been involved with damage prevention in the utility sector for many years and has hit the ground running.
Please join me in congratulating these two gentlemen and take advantage of their services. These are two of four individuals who are willing to provide a damage prevention presentation for your next safety meeting and can answer questions related to our program. They are here to help you get your project done!
Finally, much work has already been done but more to do in preparation for our annual Louisiana Damage Prevention Summit. Save the date for January 28-30, 2025, for this outstanding educational event that will be held for the first time in Lafayette. Click this link for more details: https://www.louisiana. damagepreventionsummit.com/.
Until next time, stay safe and God bless.
Brent Saltzman Executive Director Louisiana 811
2024, Issue 4
Louisiana 811
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