Upcoming change to extraordinary circumstance declarations syncs procedures with law
Effective February 1, 2022, members and their locators will declare extraordinary circumstances using a web form, email or phone. They will no longer be able to manually enter the 3T Extraordinary Circumstances response code into the positive response system.
This change was necessary to bring the procedure in line with the Underground Facility Damage Prevention and Safety Act, Chapter 556, Florida Statutes. It also places the member’s name and code on the Extraordinary Circumstance Declarations page for other member and excavator reference.
How to Declare & rescind
Declare and cancel (rescind) extraordinary circumstances through the Sunshine 811Member Services Department using the three methods below. Once your declaration is processed, the system automatically responds to each ticket transmitted to your company with the 3T response code.
EMAIL: memberservices@sunshine811.com Email message must include your member number, declaration date, and estimated rescind date.
PHONE: (386) 575-2000 option #3
Key Points to Extraordinary Circumstances
Members declaring extraordinary circumstances will continue receiving locate tickets as long as the receiving equipment is functioning. If not, their tickets remain in queue at Sunshine 811's call center and are delivered as soon as the receiving equipment is working properly.
If you use the 3T response code, it will be rejected with an error. At that point, your ticket will have no response and you must select another code. Failure to provide a valid response code will result in a late notice.
Excavators are still required to wait the legal timeframe before digging - just in case a member is able to locate and mark the dig site.
From the Underground Facility Damage Prevention and Safety Act, Chapter 556, Florida Statutes
556.105 (8)(a) If extraordinary circumstances exist, a member operator shall notify the system of the member operator’s inability to comply with this section. For the purposes of this section, the term “extraordinary circumstances” means circumstances other than normal operating conditions that exist and make it impractical for a member operator to comply with this chapter. After the system has received notification of a member operator’s inability to comply, the system shall make that information known to excavators who subsequently notify the system of an intent to excavate. The member operator is relieved of responsibility for compliance under the law during the period that the extraordinary circumstances exist and shall promptly notify the system when the extraordinary circumstances cease to exist.
