RECAP: 2023 MOCGA Summit and International Locate Rodeo
Mark A. Woodward
President, Missouri Common Ground Alliance
www.mocommonground.org
On December 6 & 7, 2023 the volunteers of the Missouri Common Ground Alliance (MOCGA) held their annual Damage Prevention and Excavation Safety Summit at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield, MO.
The Summit’s purpose is to provide free education to all construction trades to help them prevent jobsite incidents, injuries, and underground utility damages.
Missouri811 (www.missouri-811.org) and Springfield, MO City Utilities (www.cityutilities.net) are the Summit’s largest supporters, and they share a purpose of reducing and eliminating underground utility damage incidents.
The International Locate Rodeo (ILR) was also held on December 6 & 7 as part of the MOCGA Summit. Sunny skies, fall leaves, dry conditions, and great daytime temperatures welcomed 51 expert utility locating competitors from 17 states to show their time & accuracy skills. Fifty volunteers from multiple states and industries helped organize, promote, and execute the ILR, which was the third event organized & operated by the volunteers of the Missouri Common Ground Alliance.
Through the generosity of over 100 exhibitors, sponsors, instructors, and donors – over $650,000 in safety training was provided free of charge at the Summit. The annual MOCGA Summit attracted 1,438 attendees, 200 exhibitor personnel, and 100 volunteers. Over 20 safety sessions, demonstrations, and certification courses were provided, including a live electrical safety demonstration and confined space incident reenactment. The best safety instructors in the United States donated their time to make each safety course helpful, impactful, and memorable.
Mark your calendars! The 2024 MOCGA Summit & International Locate Rodeo is being planned now, and will be held on December 11 & 12 at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield, MO. Find out more by visiting www.mocommonground.org or www.locaterodeo.net. Check out the MOCGA and International Locate Rodeo out on Facebook and LinkedIn, too. Registration for the 2024 ILR opens on May 1, 2024, and Summit registration opens on October 1, 2024.
Questions about the Summit or ILR? Questions about how you can participate? Have a specialty or skill you’d like to put to work?
Interested in becoming a supporter?
Reach out any time to the Missouri Common Ground Alliance at 573-289-5990 or mocommonground@gmail.com.