Breaking New Ground: Looking Back at my First Season with USP

Terra Patrick, Damage Prevention Associate, Utility Safety Partners

In early March, alongside a small but mighty group of new hires, I began my first season with Utility Safety Partners. Coming into this role, I was a near-stranger to the actual ins and outs of underground utility safety and damage prevention. I had seen utility markings countless times and knew what they were – I think we’re likely all familiar (especially if you’re reading this newsletter) with the brightly coloured paint or flags placed near excavation and construction work in our communities. But there’s so much going on behind the scenes that makes those markings – and makes digging safely – possible.

Before ever answering our first calls or submitting our first real locate requests, DPAs tackle a two-week-long crash course to learn how to place safe and accurate tickets. It’s a steep learning curve, but a necessary one to ensure agents are left with a thorough understanding of the procedures, technical knowledge, and importance of the work we do. Those two weeks introduced me to an unfamiliar world existing beneath my feet, with one clear message throughout: everything we do comes back to safety.  

Through the season, every conversation with excavators, homeowners, utility owners, and community members has helped me connect what I learned in training to real-world outcomes and situations. It’s eye-opening to realize the effort and collaboration that goes into processing locate requests, and fulfilling to know that we’re not only helping to protect underground utilities, but communities, too. Knowing that the work we do has real life impacts, and knowing that I’m able to help folks stay safe, motivates me to continue learning and digging deeper into damage prevention. 

Internally, Utility Safety Partners also prioritises the wellbeing of its own community. I’ve been impressed throughout the season with how supported I’ve felt as a new employee, and how much I’ve been able to connect with some of my colleagues, even in a remote work environment. Beginning any new role can be difficult, especially coming into a new industry, but it’s so rewarding to look back at the season and see how much I’ve grown and learned – even though I’ve only just scratched the surface so far.