Most of you know that I'm an author, but I have a "real" job, too. I don't know if you ever knew or if you thought that I had to in order to pay my bills; it's true. I am a working person! I have a real job. My job is that of a Claims Adjuster. I've been licensed for years, and I'm licensed in several states, my home state being Oklahoma. Why am I telling you all this? You'll see.
My best friend Jeannie came over today, and we went places. I don't usually go anywhere, but when Jeannie came over I had errands to do, so we went together. While driving down one of the busier roads in my neighborhood, she pointed out all the downed tree limbs, leaning fences, and even a power pole literally cut in two! All this, we both knew, was caused by the damage caused by hurricane force winds from the day before. Oklahoma is quite known for its tornadoes, but this event was a "straight line squall" with sporadic wind speeds of up to 100 mph in some parts of the state. Oklahoma City had 50-90 mph winds for a large part of the day.
My job as a Claims Adjuster deals primarily with underground property loss, not aerial and/or physical damage to the poles themselves, but with copper and fiber cables and strands beneath the ground. When someone (or a crew) digs and damages these lines (facilities), I step in and ask them to pay or indemnify the company who lost the line, loss of use to customers, and of course, we get the money back from these damages to cover all costs of labor and materials. We also try to get as much in the way of administrative costs as possible.
When Jeannie pointed out the downed pole, I had to stop and take a few pictures of it. In a very strange and even odd way, it was considered a beautiful disaster. The potential for harm was extreme, and I hoped the authorities had been told. I decided to call to be sure, and I was happy to be told that it was reported. I knew it must have been, but you don't want to assume anything.
I immediately took photos and sent them to my boss and another manager of my company as well as to two or three co-workers and other adjusters, who almost instantly all texted back wanting to know where it was! They wanted to go see it for themselves. This will be a keen loss; but it will also be considered an Act of God, therefore, no one will have to pay anyone back. The power company will simply file their own insurance claim.
Before becoming a Claims Adjuster for an underground utility subrogation firm, I knew about powerlines, crossboxes, pedestals, and the like. Still, I had no true understanding of the "depth" (sorry) of just how deeply lines are to be buried, or how they are installed in the first place. It's all very fascinating actually - and there are in fact, many laws and regulations surrounding these installations as well as the methods used to maintain, repair, or replace power lines, gas lines, water lines, anything that will involve any sort of excavation including the installing of a private fence post or mailbox.
You may or may not know all the rules, but know this; before you put a spade more than six inches into the ground, PLEASE call 811 to get a FREE locate telling you where the lines are, and what lines will be under the ground. You don't want to be the person banging around with your shovels and slicing into a working gas line! Communication lines are one thing, and power lines are too, but if you hit a gas line, it could mean much more than just loss of gas. Lives and property are at stake, and it is not a thing to gamble with. CALL 811....EVERY TIME.
Now, when you call 811, and they have their 2 or 3 days to come out, locate (mark and flag) the area, it doesn't mean you can just plow your way through. You have to obey the standards of the industry as well as the safety laws; both state and federal. The good excavators know that. The same type of care is mandated for people trimming trees too; you can't just take your saws up into the trees and start hacking away! The winds (in this case) split the pole! Had it been an end pole it could have smashed into a roof! CRAZY!
Anyway, that's what I do. I call people, ask for their email address if I don't already have it, and I send them an invoice for the damage they caused for not being responsible; for not being law-abiding. Most of the time, thankfully, lives are not lost, and the only damage caused can be fixed by sending money into to pay for labor and materials, but sometimes it is my duty to inform them that they have broken the law(s) and could be charged. It's a great job - and I love it. Not many people do what I do, and I like that too. We talk to homeowners, professional people who own businesses, and to a lot of insurance adjusters. We find the people who did the damage and recover our clients' losses. Tis a fair employment!
I've been at this company for just a year now, and I wanted to announce where it is that I work after a year, but I've decided not to. I don't need to dox myself. I love it there....here...I work from home. I wake up, put on my pajamas, drink a hot cup of coffee after showering and playing with the dogs, and I work steadily from the moment I put my headset on at 7:30 til the moment I take them off at 4:00, but anytime I want a 10-15 minute break I can take it. I can take two, three, four -- it's my time, as long as I get my job done.
I never ask permission; if I don't work that day, I'm the only one hurting. My pay depends on how much I put into it. It's not self-paced, but it is. No one micromanages me - that's the part I really like. My co-workers are fun and outgoing, and I love their job as much as I do. I talk to some really crazy, messed up people who simply have no clue; that's the part of my day that I cherish. Those people make good fodder for the books I write. I will change their names; I promise.
Photo Credit: Me
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