Letter: Make the Promise to Call Before You Dig

This weekend I was honored to be a part of a unique event that raised awareness for the Common Ground Alliance’s 811 Call Before You Dig campaign.  Extreme Sandbox in Hastings opened its doors to let community members explore heavy-duty construction machinery and shared an important safety message.

Every year many Americans are injured or cause property damage because they fail to take the proper precautions and call 811 before starting projects.

Underground utilities are damaged approximately 165,000 times each year by digging, and one out of every three incidents is caused by someone who did not call 811 before digging.

As a member of Common Ground Alliance, Koch Pipeline Company employees were excited to volunteer at the event and encourage community members to make the promise to always call 811 before they dig.  So far, 2845 people have made the promise and the number is growing.  Thank you to everyone who made the promise this weekend.  It’s a great step to protect your community and keep your family safe and connected to critical services.

I am proud to work for a company whose top priority is safety.  It was a pleasure to partner with Extreme Sandbox and Common Ground Alliance who also recognize the importance of keeping people safe.

Dave Stecher

Vice President of Koch Pipeline Northern Operations

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