Locators are the first and last line of defense against utility damage and are unacknowledged first responders. As a locator, you will mark lines before site surveys are conducted and up until the last brick is placed and last tree is planted. It is your job to stand up to a contractor who is digging without proper approval or who has taken the liberty upon themselves to dig before a ticket is due. Locators are often the first to the scene of a utility damage, which means they are often first on the scene to a gas line break, a sink hole repair, a drunk driver hitting a telephone pole, power lines in a roadway due to a recent storm, and many more situations. As a first responder it is your responsibility to know basic first aid, to remain calm in a stressful situation, to be PPE conscious, and to think safety. Do you know that the majority of companies, local, county, state, and federal agencies such as OSHA, have no plan for sinkhole safety. You need to know the situation, and before you're on-site, know how to approach the situation safely.

All you have in this industry is your reputation. Learn all you can, and continue to learn something new every day, even when you've been at it for a decade or more. Be Humble. Never say you are the best. A phrase often heard uttered by a locator with less than 5 years of experience is "If I can't find it, it can't be found." Assuming so means you have a lot still to learn. The guys with 15 to 20 years of experience will tell you they are still learning every day. Never pat yourself on the back. Let others do that for you. When you get cocky, is when you get cut.