Virginia 811 Public Awareness & Training (PAT)
The Virginia 811 Public Awareness & Training (PAT) team actively promotes safe digging practices statewide. We participate in community and industry events, advocating for 811 and stressing the significance of preventing underground utility damage. Additionally, we provide online and in-person training sessions for industry professionals.
Virginia 811 Public Awareness & Training (PAT) Team
Frank Giannini
Manager of Public Awareness
[email protected]
Fernando Mendez
[email protected]
Northern VA
Joseph Sparrow
[email protected]
Western & Southwestern VA
Molly Avery
[email protected]
Eastern & Central VA
Tim Poole
[email protected]
Display Truck Operator
PAT Services
Virginia 811 PAT Training
Virginia 811 provides free training on Virginia’s Damage Prevention Act, the one-call process, and our web-based applications. We also participate in a variety of safety day and civic events annually.
PAT Outreach to Spanish-Speaking Stakeholders
Important safe digging messaging should be easily accessible to everyone who works near underground utility lines, regardless of the language they speak. If you need 811 damage prevention training in Spanish, please contact us as the link below to schedule a 30-minute onsite training session.
LDPC Meeting Support
The Virginia 811 PAT team supports and promotes Local Damage Prevention Committee (LDPCC) meetings throughout Virginia. LDPC meetings provide an optimal forum where local stakeholders can share information and perspectives while working together on all damage prevention issues.
Industry Event Participation & Promotion
Our Virginia 811 PAT team hosts and attends a number of vendor trainings, conventions, trade shows and community events throughout Virginia to promote 811 and damage prevention. To learn more about these events, or to participate, visit the Virginia 811 Events calendar.
Training Materials and Supplies Request
If your organization requires Virginia 811 educational or training materials, please submit your request at the form below.
Virginia 811 Display Truck & Table Requests
Virginia 811 provides marketing and event support through our Virginia 811 Display Truck and Table requests to our Members, Excavator community, and in-kind organizations.
Additional Training Resources
Virginia 811 Damage Prevention Training Video
In collaboration with Glo Fiber and UtiliQuest, this video provides essential training on safe excavation practices. Learn how to carefully dig around utilities, prevent damage, and ensure the safety of your project. Follow the guidelines to protect underground infrastructure and avoid costly mistakes.
Storm Cleanup & Utility Damage Prevention
After a storm, safety should be everyone’s top priority. Whether you’re a professional excavator, homeowner, or business owner, following the 811 notification process is crucial to avoid damaging underground utilities during clean-up efforts. Download our helpful PDF for essential safety tips and guidelines on protecting your community during storm recovery.
Virginia 811 Academy
The Academy is where you will find the training you need to fill out a notice of excavation. This training is referred to as Web Ticket Entry (WTE) training. The WTE application is intended for professional excavators. By using the system at this level, users become very familiar with the notification requirements. It is designed for those users with large ticket volumes.
Web Ticket Entry (WTE) Teleconference Request Training
Virginia 811 provides free training on Virginia’s Damage Prevention Act, the one-call process, and our web-based applications. We also participate in a variety of safety day and civic events annually.
WTE Requirements
The Virginia 811 Web Ticket Entry (WTE) application is intended for professional excavators. By using the system at this level, callers become very familiar with the notification requirements. In addition, the effort required on the part of Virginia 811 to set up accounts, maintain them with current information, audit the tickets entered and enforce ticket entry policies only becomes efficient for users with large ticket volumes.
Computer Based Training (CBT) Programs
Virginia 811 is now providing online CBT on the Virginia Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act.
MarineSafe811
Virginia 811 is a proud supporter of MarineSafe811. The MarineSafe811 program is designed to reduce damages by creating resources for all marine stakeholders to readily access training, 811 notification guidelines, best practices, and awareness materials.
All materials, training, and information are free of charge and include:
- Best practices for underwater line damage prevention
- Free online training for stakeholders
- Marine/underwater utility online resource library available with presentations and videos
- In-person or virtual marine risk evaluation
*MarineSafe811 does not provide utility locates for excavators in Virginia, if you need utilities located in a waterway in Virginia, please submit your locate request to Virginia 811.
