Page 6 - Tennessee

Damage Prevention MVP
Cody Turner
By Jason Fryer,
Damage Prevention Liaison Tennessee811
It’s a fresh new year, so what better way to kick off 2024 than with a new Damage Prevention MVP?
Scott Calamusa, the Health & Safety Manager at Consolidated Utility District (CUD) of Rutherford County, nominated this quarter’s MVP. No
one’s doubting Scott’s credibility in submitting a nomination but check
out this resume: he has over 17 years of experience in the construction industry, including high-rise, concrete, and heavy civil. More specifically, his background includes bridge building, water pumping stations, and sewage treatment plants. You could say he knows what he’s talking about. So, with that being established, let me announce our MVP, Cody Turner.
Cody started with CUD as a temporary employee in June of 2004 when he was still in high school and 17 years old. Cody was hired full-time in 2005 after graduating high school. He started
out doing meter changes in 2004.
Then when he came on full time, he was helping with the automatic read program with Badger Meters. Cody has been a locator for the last 2 years.
Scott told me what made Cody stand out for us to feature him as this quarter’s MVP, “When you first meet Cody, he has a tremendous presence about himself. He is over six feet tall,
he has a booming deep voice, and he
is a God-fearing Christian man. Cody
is even a preacher at his church. He
is a wonderful human being, and
Cody is the first person I thought of when you asked about the Damage Prevention MVP.” Scott mentioned safety and how important it is for CUD’s employees. “There is a temptation
for our employees to use one of their electronic devices while driving, but Cody does the right thing and pulls over. He wears his high visibility vests, uses his strobe lights, and performs safe driving practices.” On the damage prevention side, Scott told me that
Cody’s experience with CUD helps in his expertise for locating. “Cody has
had a lot of interaction with the public and our customers. His experience with safety and Cody is an exemplification of what we are trying to do here at CUD. Working safely and being good stewards to the public.”
According to Cody, one thing that
helps him and his fellow locators out
is CUD’s mapping system. CUD does a good job using technology and they GPS their lines to keep their maps updated. They also prioritize making sure there is tracer wire on the pipe to facilitate locating. Cody told me, “We have
work cell phones, and the contractors have our numbers that way they can reach out if they have questions about the locating.” Another thing Cody mentioned is that he often over-locates lines, that way he can make sure CUD
is covered.
Cody told me a few things that he loves about locating. “You really have the
4 • Tennessee811
2024, Issue 1