Visit GSOC at the 2018 MN State Fair!

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Created: Friday, 17 August 2018 15:38

Written by Lareina Taing

Planning to visit the “Great Minnesota Get-Together” this year? While you are getting your fix of fried food and amusement rides at the MN State Fair, make sure to stop by and visit the Gopher State One Call (GSOC) booth! We will be sharing the damage prevention message with fair-goers and distributing our wildly-popular GSOC yardsticks, along with other GSOC promotional items. Spin our wheel and land on an APWA color-coded utility to determine the color of the yardstick you’ll receive! However, you can skip the line by liking the GSOC Facebook page while at the fair. By liking our page, you’ll also be automatically entered to win an 811 goodie bag! You can find us in the Blue Flame Gas Association building on the west side of Nelson Street, between Dan Patch and Carnes Avenues (across from the Giant Slide) from August 23-September 3, 2018.

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811 Partnerships with Lowe's and Home Depot

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Created: Friday, 17 August 2018 15:26

Written by Lareina Taing

When 811 became the universal three-digit dial code for America’s notification centers in 2007, it set the stage for uniform branding of safe excavating efforts that could be easily recognized by professional excavators and homeowners across the country. The Common Ground Alliance (CGA), an organization dedicated to protecting underground utility lines and the safety of people who excavate near them, found in its 2018 study that 36% of American homeowners who planned to dig this year will put themselves and communities at risk by failing to call 811 to learn the approximate location of underground utilities. These risks exist even for elementary projects such as landscaping, installing a fence or mailbox, and building a deck or patio.

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GSOC Spotlight: Jo and Lisa

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Created: Friday, 17 August 2018 14:52

Written by Lareina Taing

Jolena (Jo) Ware and Lisa Freeman, One Call Concepts (OCC) ITIC Coordinators for Gopher State One Call (GSOC), work together to aid ITIC users throughout Minnesota. Jo is the ITIC Coordinator who travels throughout the state to provide excavators and facility operators with ITIC online ticket process training. She also attends different industry conferences and events to educate users on ITIC. Jo schedules onsite training for excavators, facility operators, and/or locators. When in the office, she assists in training the ITIC priority team, processing tickets, answering questions, and helping with the ITIC Help Desk chats. Jo also works with the OCC Systems Division to implement and test new software functions and features that are in the development stage.

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The "Do's and Don'ts" of Marking Instructions

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Created: Tuesday, 24 July 2018 09:09

Written by Lareina Taing

After providing the general location (address and/or corresponding driving directions) of a proposed excavation site to Gopher State One Call (GSOC), you must provide specific details about the area you need marked. Use the marking instructions section of the ticket to enter detailed information to allow the facility operator to fully understand your job site. Think ahead about how to best describe any specific needs or situations that a facility operator or locator may need to know.

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GSOC Reprocess Tickets

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Created: Tuesday, 24 July 2018 08:50

Written by Lareina Taing

Need to correct, cancel, or update an existing locate ticket? If so, Gopher State One Call (GSOC) offers two ways for excavators to reprocess tickets, online or by phone! 

After an excavator files a locate request with ITIC, GSOC emails them a record copy that includes a specialized MapLINK (labeled “HERE”) to their information. This link provides immediate online access to all of an excavator’s tickets (historical and current) and includes a map of the excavation site and utility notification list. Clicking the link connects users to Excavator Ticket Management (ETM), an online ticket archive. ETM is a handy tool to use to correct, cancel, or update a ticket without logging into ITIC or calling GSOC. If you prefer to call us to reprocess a ticket, feel free to contact the notification center at 811, or on our direct lines at 651-454-0002 for the Twin Cities metro, or 800-252-1166 for the Greater MN area. 

There are three types of reprocess tickets¹: Correction, Cancellation, and Update. Keep reading to learn about the differences between the three ticket types!

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