News

December 2021 DIRT

Thank you for attending the 2021 MWDPTC

Thank you to all who joined us at the 9th annual Midwest Damage Prevention Training Conference in French Lick, Indiana this November! This year’s sold-out event brought together nearly 600 damage prevention professionals for three days of educational and networking opportunities.
 
The MWDPTC featured educational sessions covering a breadth of damage prevention topics taught by subject matter experts, as well as keynote speakers Josh Bleill and Ricky Rollins, who shared their inspiring stories. Damage prevention professionals got the chance to reconnect and build new relationships at the conference’s networking events, including horseback riding, clay pigeon shooting, and the annual golf tournament.

This year’s event also featured a new, larger Exhibit Hall location at the French Lick Resort that provided our exhibitors with ample space to exhibit their products and services, while improving social distancing and accommodating more vehicles to display.
 
Thank you to all the professionals who showed their commitment to damage prevention by attending this year’s conference. We look forward to seeing you in idyllic French Lick again next year for the 2022 MWDPTC, from Nov. 9-11!

Thank You to Our 2021 MWDPTC Sponsors

The 2021 Midwest Damage Prevention Training Conference was made possible by our conference sponsors, who enabled us to have the educational sessions, meals, networking events, scholarships, and more that make the MWPDTC the premier damage prevention event in the region. Thank you to all of our 2021 sponsors!

Veterans Recognized for Their Service During the MWDPTC

The 2021 Midwest Damage Prevention Training Conference fell on Veterans Day, and the MWDPTC took the opportunity to thank all Veterans for their service. Every Vet in attendance was given a pin to wear throughout the week, and in special tribute to all Veterans, our keynote speaker Marine Corporal Josh Bleill gave a powerful message of courage, hope, and his experience surviving a bomb explosion in which he lost two friends and both of his legs. The damage prevention community is thankful on Veterans Day and every day for the service of our Veterans.

Exactix Logos Available in Indiana 811 Toolkit

With the implementation earlier this year of our new online ticketing platform, Exactix, Indiana 811 is encouraging more online ticket submissions to streamline the 811 process for excavators and members. To help promote the safe digging message and drive your audience to Exactix to submit tickets, we have made the Exactix Home and Exactix Pro logos available to download in the Indiana 811 marketing toolkit.
 
Additionally, Indiana 811 has updated graphics and slogans to use when promoting the 811 Before You Dig message to reinforce the use of online tickets through Exactix. The marketing toolkit now has updated our logos with the new “811 Before You Dig” slogan as opposed to “Call Before You Dig” to encourage online tickets rather than calling 811 via phone.
 
These new logos can be found on the marketing page of the Indiana 811 website under “Creative Resources”. Thank you for your continued support in promoting the important safe digging message!

Register for Upcoming Excavator Meetings

Registration is now open for a series of excavator meetings in January and February to help raise damage prevention and pipeline awareness among Indiana excavators and contractors. These training meetings are held in a variety of locations around Indiana to provide crucial pipeline safety information to those working around underground infrastructure. Register now for one of the meetings happening in 2022: 

• Shipshewana: Monday, January 10 at 8 a.m. EST.
• Plymouth: Tuesday, January 11 at 8 a.m. EST.
• Michigan City: Wednesday, January 12 at 8 a.m. CST.
• Merrillville: Thursday, January 13 at 8 a.m. CST.
• Lafayette: Tuesday, January 18 at 8 a.m. EST.
• Kokomo: Wednesday, January 19 at 8 a.m. EST.
• Wabash: Thursday, January 20 at 8 a.m. EST.
• Fort Wayne: Monday, January 24 at 8 a.m. EST.
• Muncie: Tuesday, January 25 at 8 a.m. EST.
• Indianapolis: Wednesday, January 26 at 8 a.m. EST.
• Danville: Thursday, January 27 at 8 a.m. EST.
• Covington: Tuesday, February 1 at 8 a.m. EST.
• Terre Haute: Wednesday, February 2 at 8 a.m. EST.
• Bloomington: Thursday, February 3 at 8 a.m. EST.
• Columbus: Monday, February 7 at 8:00 a.m. EST
• Richmond: Tuesday, February 8 at 8 a.m. EST.
• Lawrenceburg: Wednesday, February 9 at 8 a.m. EST.
• Starlight: Thursday, February 10 at 8 a.m. EST.
• Odon: Tuesday, February 15 at 8 a.m. EST.
• Huntingburg: Wednesday, February 16 at 8 a.m. EST.
• Evansville: Thursday, February 17 at 8 a.m. CST.

INPAA Corner

Excavator Mailer Results

Every summer, INPAA sends out a direct mailer to professional excavators to educate them on topics related to pipeline safety. This summer’s mailer was sent to 33,133 excavators in the state of Indiana and included a link to a survey that evaluated the understanding and awareness of pipeline safety and damage prevention.
 
According to the survey results, almost all excavators (95.3%) say they are likely to contact Indiana 811 before they dig, and 87.5% of them have contacted 811 in the past to inquire about facility locations. The majority of respondents also felt prepared to recognize (58.3%) and react to a pipeline leak (59.7%). These positive results show that there is high awareness of the safe digging process among excavators and that pipeline safety procedures are likely to be followed in the event of a leak.

Radio Ad Results

This fall, INPAA ran a series of radio advertisements over five weeks to increase pipeline safety by sharing the key signs of a potential pipeline leak and the importance of contacting 811. The campaign secured over 2,000 radio spots in markets including Indianapolis, Ft. Wayne, Louisville, Cincinnati and Chicago, which generated 2,856,000 impressions among adults aged 25-54. This campaign helped to reinforce the safety procedures around pipelines to help keep the public safe from gas leaks at a time of year when gas-fueled furnaces are in use. You can listen to the radio ad on INPAA’s toolkit page.

Register for INPAA Emergency Responder Meetings

INPAA offers pipeline safety sessions for emergency responders to connect with local pipeline and gas distribution operators, network with fellow first responders and operators, plan a coordinated response, and receive updated operator and emergency contact information. These two-hour sessions provide vital pipeline safety information, as well as the opportunity to earn two Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credits upon training completion. 

View the meeting schedule and register for a session here.