Trico recently hired three Line Locators, Ron Flores, Dylan Ruby and George Rodriguez. Their job is to mark the location of underground utilities for construction activities that require excavation or demolition.

In the past, Trico used an outside service for line location. After careful research, we determined that there was good value in having in-house employees.

“That way when anybody makes an 811 request, they see a Trico truck pull up with a Trico employee and they can engage with Members and really attend to their needs,” said Matt Fredericksen, Vice President of Electric Operations.

The line location process starts with the Member calling 811 or visiting the website www.arizona811.com to submit a request online. Trico then sends a Line Locator to pinpoint the paths of cables, pipes and other conduits that carry utilities underground.

“It’s very similar to a metal detector,” Flores said.

Once an underground cable is detected, the Line Locator uses paint or flags to mark the buried lines.

“That way excavators can safely dig without running the risk of knocking out power or causing significant damage to our systems, ultimately affecting our Members and their ability to have power,” Ruby said.

To learn more about the locating process and how it benefits Trico and our Members, watch our video at https://youtu.be/3f2LyKxsqH4.