Professional underground utility locating services you can trust. Protecting workers, infrastructure, and communities — one locate at a time.
Professional electromagnetic locating of buried gas, electric, telecom, and water lines before any excavation work begins.
Learn more →Locating privately-owned utilities on commercial and residential properties — from irrigation systems to private power feeds.
Learn more →Non-destructive GPR scanning for subsurface anomalies, voids, rebar, and utilities in concrete and soil environments.
Learn more →Comprehensive as-built utility mapping with GPS-accurate coordinates, depth data, and professional documentation for your records.
Learn more →Around-the-clock emergency response for urgent locate requests. We mobilize fast to keep your project safe and on schedule.
Learn more →Ongoing utility locating support for construction sites — from pre-construction surveys to real-time locates during active excavation.
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Every locate we perform is backed by 30+ years of field expertise, industry-leading technology, and an unwavering commitment to keeping your crew, your project, and underground infrastructure safe.
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First Response Locating Services operates throughout the region, providing rapid response locating to urban, suburban, and rural project sites. Emergency locating available anywhere within our coverage area.
Don't see your area? Call us — we may still be able to help.
Founded in 2026 by a veteran utility locating professional with over 30 years of field experience, First Response Locating Services was built on a single principle: no excavation should ever put lives or infrastructure at risk. We bring that commitment to every job, regardless of size.
Led by Senior Technician Michael Blakely and our team of GPR-certified professionals, we have completed over 50,000 successful locates without a single utility strike on our watch. We stay at the cutting edge of locating technology because we believe precision isn't optional — it's mandatory.
Have a question not listed here? Give us a call — our team is happy to help.
Call 240-444-7446811 (Call Before You Dig) is a free government service that locates publicly-maintained utilities like city water, gas, and electric. However, it does NOT locate privately-owned utilities such as irrigation systems, private power feeds, outdoor lighting, or any lines that run within private property boundaries. Private utility locating covers everything 811 misses — which is why it's critical for any excavation on private property.
We offer same-day scheduling for most standard locate requests. For emergency locates, we aim to have a technician on-site within 2–4 hours, 24/7. Response time depends on your location and our current dispatch schedule. Call us directly for the fastest response: 240-444-7446.
Absolutely. Calling 811 is legally required but only protects you from striking publicly-maintained utilities. Studies show that a significant percentage of utility strikes occur on private lines that 811 never marks. We always recommend private locating in addition to 811, especially for commercial properties, campuses, and older residential properties where records may be incomplete or inaccurate.
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) uses radar pulses to create a subsurface image without any digging. It's ideal when: you need to scan concrete before drilling or cutting; you're looking for non-metallic pipes that EM locators can't detect; you need to identify voids, sinkholes, or anomalies; or when you need a visual record of what's below the surface. It's a valuable complement to electromagnetic locating on complex sites.
Our locate reports include: a site sketch or map showing all marked utilities, GPS coordinates of located lines, estimated depths where measurable, utility type and color-code identification, technician name and certification info, date and time of locate, and any notes on areas of uncertainty or poor signal. Reports are delivered digitally and can be formatted for CAD or GIS integration.
Yes. First Response Locating Services is fully licensed to operate in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. We carry comprehensive general liability insurance and all required worker's compensation coverage. Certificates of insurance are available upon request for your project records. Our technicians are GPR-certified and OSHA-trained.
Ready to get started? Reach out using the details below and a member of our team will respond within 4 business hours. For emergencies, call us directly — we're available 24/7.
One call to First Response Locating Services is all it takes to protect your crew, your project, and underground infrastructure. We're ready when you are.