Georgia 811 donates masks to local organizations

DULUTH – As flu season begins and COVID-19 still lingers, Georgia 811 set out to share some goodwill by supplying 10,000 facemasks to several locations across metro Atlanta.

Georgia 811 is a safety-focused nonprofit that provides professional excavators and homeowners alike the opportunity to have public underground utility lines marked in their area of excavation prior to digging. Contacting Georgia 811 at least three business days before digging helps prevent injuries, property damage and inconvenient outages; and it’s as easy as visiting Georgia811.com or dialing 8-1-1.

“Providing masks to our excavating public is another great way we can spread goodwill and keep contractors and the public at large safe. It’s one extra step in safety,” Megan Estes, corporate communications manager at Georgia 811, said in a news release.

In addition to the Georgia Utility Contractors Association that trains utility contractors weekly and HBNext, a company that trains construction industry professionals, facemasks also were distributed through the Fulton County Library System in an effort to target a county with a high number of reported utility damages. As a way of increasing Fulton county awareness about contacting 811 before digging, Georgia 811 made a connection with Edith Wallace, management policy analyst II/HR liaison at the Fulton County Library System. A drop-off of 5,000 masks was delivered to Wallace, which will be made available at several Fulton County Library branches.

“We hope Fulton County Library patrons will take a free Georgia 811-branded mask and help spread the important safe digging message throughout the county,” Estes said. “The mask will also serve as a reminder to Fulton County homeowners to remember to contact Georgia 811 prior to any digging project they may have in these upcoming months.”

“Georgia 811 loves doing our part during the pandemic,” Georgia 811 CEO/President Meghan Wade said. “Our offices never shut down, and our operation was seamless at the onset of the pandemic since 90% of our staff already worked from home. We extended the mask donation to the Gateway Center, an Atlanta homeless shelter that can house up to 960 between their two facilities, and provided them with an additional 1000 disposable masks to keep those in need as safe as possible.”

Georgia 811 is an industry leader in promoting safety and preventing damage to utility facilities efficiently through high-quality and economical notification service, providing education and encouraging compliance with applicable rules and regulations.

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