Quick Start Guide Natural Gas Utilities

SECTION 02 : BUILDING YOUR PROGRAM

The number and type of audiences will depend on the specifics of your utility, program goals, regulatory requirements, legal/risk management practices, and a variety of other factors. Some regulations specify certain audiences must be targeted (e.g., 49 CFR § 192.616 and § 195.440). While the following is not intended to be a comprehensive list, your plan should consider the following audience types: • Customers (with new customers as a specific subset), natural gas users/consumers, landlords, tenants, and residents living near gas pipelines or gas facilities • Public officials, emergency officials, first responders, healthcare professionals, and public safety agencies • Trade professionals, construction workers, excavators, road builders, plumbers, and public works departments • Utility personnel, workers at other types of utilities (e.g., water), and public works agencies (e.g., road construction and repair) • Farmers, farm workers, and others in the agriculture industry • Students, teachers, and other means of reaching school-aged children • Individuals traveling into your service territory for work or congregating for specific events (e.g., sporting events) • Military bases, veterans homes, tribal authorities, and similar authorities, institutions, or establishments Multilingual Considerations To be most effective, language must be taken into consideration when planning safety communications. Despite the tremendous multicultural composition of the United States, there are no firm guidelines regarding multilingual public safety communications. Each utility must develop its own standards based on the unique characteristics of its service territory, local census data, and industry best practices.