Kansas Gas Service April awareness campaign aims to increase calls to 811
April is National Safe Digging Month and Kansas
Gas Service is celebrating by introducing its team of “Dig Heroes.” The Dig Heroes’ purpose is
to help promote safe digging among Kansans – regardless of the type or size of digging project
they’re planning.
Kansans can become Dig Heroes by taking the Safe Digging Pledge at BeADigHeroKansas.com,
where they can share their commitment to always calling 811 before they dig and be entered to
win a $100 gift card.
Who Are the Dig Heroes?
The Dig Heroes are a group of superheroes who have taken the pledge to practice safe digging
no matter how big or small their digging project might be.
“The Dig Heroes are a fun new addition to our annual public awareness campaign, as they
encourage participation from all types of customers – from developers to homeowners and
gardeners, and of course, dog lovers,” said Dawn Tripp, manager of Public Relations for Kansas
Gas Service.
When someone digs in Kansas, whether planting a tree or digging the foundation of a skyscraper,
there is a high probability of an underground facility within the site. When customers make the
free call to 811 or visit Kansas811.com before digging, professional locators will mark
the underground facilities within the designated project area with flags and/or paint at no cost to
the home or business owner.
“Many people don’t remember to call 811 before planting a garden, removing trees, installing
sprinklers and other outdoor projects, but a quick call to 811 can prevent significant outages and
inconveniences to neighborhoods,” said Trey Pool, Manager of Public Awareness and Damage
Prevention for ONE Gas, parent company of Kansas Gas Service. “We hope to help change that
by raising awareness to call 811 before starting any projects that involve digging into the
ground.”
When to Call 811
Individuals should call 811 at least two full working days before starting their digging projects –
no matter how small – to make sure that all lines are protected and the chances of hitting a line
decrease.
3 Tips to Remember Before Digging
1. Even if you’re digging shallow, you need to call to have your lines marked.
2. If you hire a contractor, make sure they call 811 prior to digging.
3. Respect the Tolerance Zone, which is the area 24 inches from the outside edge of the pipe
in all horizontal directions. Within this zone, you should use reasonable care, such as
hand digging, vacuum excavation or similar safe excavation methods to avoid any
contact or damage to the line.
Learn more about the Dig Heroes, safe digging, and take the pledge at BeADigHeroKansas.com
for your chance to win a $100 gift card.
About Kansas Gas Service
Kansas Gas Service provides a reliable and affordable energy choice to more than 645,000 customers in Kansas and
is the largest natural gas distributor in the state, in terms of customers.
Headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas Gas Service is a division of ONE Gas, Inc. (NYSE: OGS), a 100–percent
regulated natural gas utility that trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “OGS.” ONE Gas is
included in the S&P MidCap 400 Index and is one of the largest natural gas utilities in the United States.
For more information and the latest news about Kansas Gas Service, visit kansasgasservice.com and follow its social
channels: @KansasGas, Facebook, Nextdoor, LinkedIn a