These first thirty days have gone by like a rocket ship, just like the rest of my life. It seems like a month ago I was getting on the bus to go to school for the first time. Last week, I was getting married and having kids. Yesterday, I became “Papa Jay”. As you may relate, time goes by fast for all of us. We still feel young inside and when we look in the mirror, we wonder who is looking back at us.
I am Jay Richardson, the new West Tennessee Damage Prevention Liaison for Tennessee 811. I live in Trenton, TN, with my wife Julie of 32 years. Together, we have two boys, Justin and Joshua. Justin is married with four kids. He is in the USMC stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Joshua is a Plant Manager in Delaware, married with three cats. Julie and I travel on our vacations to see our kids. When we are not gone, you can find us on our farm.
A month ago, I went to work for Tennessee 811. It did not take long to realize I was joining a team that is incredibly talented and wonderful. Every member is caring and so nice. On the call center side, the agents who take your calls are so polite and professional. They give you priority to ensure the information you provide gets to the service providers in the area you want to dig. There are four of us on the team I work with: I cover West TN and some counties in Middle TN, Jason covers Middle TN, and Dean has the East side of the state, with our team leader Marcus covering all of us.
Our dedicated team does not end with just us. From our Technical Support Department to our Accounting and HR staff, and our VP and President, each person plays a crucial role in our success at Tennessee 811. Each of these departments has helped me get off to a great start. They have provided me with the resources and tools to spread our Damage Prevention message across Tennessee. Currently, we are partners with Paradigm speaking about Pipeline Safety and why and when you should call 811 before you dig.
In these first thirty days, I have gotten to do member visits to several counties. On these drives to and from members, I have gotten to see parts of our beautiful state I would have never visited. Some members have new facilities with fancy doors and alarms, and others have been blessed to be in the same location for 50+ years with an old door that has a bell on top that jingles when you come in. Either way, the person on the other side always meets me with a smile and a warm hello. And as I introduce myself, they make me feel welcome and have only good things to say about us at 811.
When you get that kind of reaction you know you work for an organization that puts customers first, and each member becomes like family. We share the same goals across our state to dig safely. From our transmission pipeline suppliers to our natural gas distribution hubs, they want everyone to go home safely at the end of the day. Our electrical and fiber members do not want to come and repair damage caused by carelessness. Those water and wastewater suppliers have older pipes in the ground that, as our state expands, need upgrades. With cooler temperatures coming, the ground starts to shift, causing sheer breaks and keeping our water members busy fixing their own problems.
So, when we dig, we should dig with care because our neighbors have services alongside us, providing our residents with affordable comfort and entertainment. When damage happens from excavation without reasonable care, it is expensive, and the public could go without service for hours to weeks
So, my first thirty days have been exciting. From meeting members and going to safety conferences to attending “Dozer Day,” where excavators brought big construction equipment to allow young kids to sit in the operator’s lap and learn how to maneuver these massive units around safely. Remember, these kids are tomorrow’s future operators, engineers, and mayors of our cities. When we take the time to educate young children, they have time to do the job right the first time.
In closing, I love my team and what we do. Remember to contact 811 first before you dig.