The very first line of all JULIE tickets delivered to members contains words that provide a quick way to identify key elements of that particular locate request. For e-mail deliveries, this first line or banner line, is placed in the e-mail subject line. In addition to member code, dig number, sequence number and ticket delivery date and time, the banner line may also contain words to indicate ticket type (RXMT, 2NDR, UPDT, CNCL), ticket category (DSGN, DAMG), lookup method (GRID, PLACE) and ticket priority (EMER, RUSH, SHORT, NORM).
JULIE members occasionally ask how the banner line key words reflecting ticket priority relate to emergency locate request provisions in the law. The Illinois Underground Utilities Facilities Damage Prevention Act recognizes non-emergency excavations and requires excavators to provide not less than 48 hours advance notice to the excavation, excluding weekends and holidays. Non-emergency requests account for about 93% of all requests for locates. All non-emergency requests contain the key word NORM on the banner line of the ticket sent from JULIE to members. The balance of the requests called in to JULIE are emergency in nature.
Provisions for emergency excavations are also recognized in the Act. For excavations requiring immediate response, excavators are required to wait 2 hours from the time of the request for utility company representatives to mark their facilities unless site conditions dictate an earlier start. Not all emergency requests require an immediate response and in these cases, excavators can indicate the date and time that they plan to begin digging and subsequently will require the utilities to be located. The law includes a provision for these non-immediate yet emergency in nature requests, permitting that utility representatives respond in 2 hours OR by the date and time requested, whichever is longer. To assist members with quickly identifying and differentiating emergency in nature requests that are for right now versus at a later date and time, key words are included in the banner line to reflect these conditions. These banner line key words and their meanings are:
EMER
Indicates an excavation that requires a response
within two (2) hours.
RUSH
Indicates an emergency in nature
excavation with less than four (4) traditional working hours
prior to the start of the excavation. Traditional hours are calculated as the
number of non-holiday weekday hours between 8AM and 4PM.
SHORT
Indicates an emergency in nature
excavation with more than four (4) traditional working hours but less
than 48 hours/2 working days advance notice.
In all cases, banner line key words provide simple, broad information concerning a locate request. The detail of the ticket should always be observed, particularly regarding expectations about when markings are to be completed.
Need Assistance?
JULIE's three Damage Prevention Managers are available to review the emergency priority designations in detail, conduct member coordinator visits to review your database information, answer questions about the JULIE process and attend safety meetings or events throughout the state.