Sher Kirk - Operations Director, Utility Safety Partners
It was a productive year in USP Operations, and we take our annual pause to reflect on what our incredible team accomplished this year. It is time to catch our breath before we start up new projects for 2026.
The first quarter of 2025 found us working hard on the Look Up and Live App. Unfortunately, we ran into some roadblocks with the software and finding ways to keep the asset location data in Canada. We found a solution that met the criteria, but there were concerns about the additional costs, so the project was put on hold until the start of 2026. We have already found our path forward and anticipate the app will go live in the Spring.
We hosted another successful Alberta Damage Prevention Symposium in Edmonton in early April. At the event we awarded the Utility Safety Partner Recognition winners for their contributions to damage prevention in Alberta:
Congratulations and thank you for your innovations and dedicated support of damage prevention in Alberta.
Throughout Quarter 1 and into Quarter 2, we hosted Safety Breakfasts across the province, with a focus on agriculture. We also participated in other industry events including the Spring Meetings of the Facility Notification Centers Association and a celebration of BC One Call’s 30th anniversary.
Through Quarter 2 and 3 we built the Business Plan for 2026, hosted more Dig Safe Month contractor breakfasts, and focused on the next steps of implementing our Cyber Security Plan. We marked the one-year anniversary of Alternate Locate Provider program. By the end of 2025, we processed over 40,000 ALP tickets with only two reported damages. The success of the ALP encourages us to continue to look for ways to improve the process for all stakeholders while taking some pressure off of the system.
Quarters 2 and 3 are also the busiest time for our Contact Centre. Up to the end of November, USP processed 638,738 locate requests and our agents handled 124,736 calls. In addition, our agents responded to 48,438 support requests via email and live Chat.
This summer saw USP up its commitment to give back to the community we serve. In May, USP awarded its first two annual scholarships to deserving Alberta students who are learning skilled trades or studying a discipline related to construction or safety. In September we hosted our first annual Charity Golf Tournament and raised $17,718 for BC and Alberta Guide Dogs, who breed and train dogs to become support companions for those in need.
In the fourth quarter of the year, we successfully achieved recertification with ISO, and prepared for an audit of our cyber security protocols against the Center for Internet Security Controls. We identified some gaps which we are remediating between now and the end of the first quarter in 2026.
As we headed into Quarter 4, we confirmed the launch date for our updated Pelican NextGen software launch. We had been working on the development and testing of the Phase II and Phase III versions since late 2024. With a launch date set, the communications to stakeholders ramped up and we got busy working to prepare our members for the upcoming changes.
The software launch is only one of several projects we have started and that will carry over into 2026. We are working on a Member Information Update project that will see us collect the most up-to-date contact information to contact our members to deliver tickets and call out Emergency locates. The larger project we kicked off is an exciting and ambitious plan to create a Damage Prevention Certification program. The goal is to design and deliver modular training programs to establish damage prevention careers based on established and consistent core elements, creating a path to meaningful engagement and recognition in the industry.
It was a productive and interesting year, and we are looking forward to moving forward with these projects and more developments and initiatives in 2026. Our strategic AI plan will be the first thing on the agenda for the first quarter. We live in ever-evolving times and USP will continuously improve systems and processes to stay ahead of the curve to deliver the best possible service to our members, Alberta excavators and the general public.
Have a restful and safe holiday. See you next year!