Local People – Zach, Power Line Technician, Taber

Jan 30, 2025, 15:57 PM

Zach, a Power Line Technician (PLT) working out of our Taber office, speaks to his readiness to hit the ground running when he's needed in the field, how FortisAlberta has evolved since he joined the company more than 12 years ago and how the behind-the-scenes work of so many of our employees continues to improve the reliability of our service.

Can you tell me how the work you do makes a positive impact to FortisAlberta customers?

I am in the operations side of our office now. My focus lately has been maintenance, identifying any potential problems and executing a vast majority of our maintenance programs throughout the year. These programs keep our grid strong and the lights on for our customers. Until the last quarter of last year, I was on the construction crew in Taber. We had a tremendous workload for projects so delivering those new construction jobs in a safe, timely manner for our new services was crucial. I also enjoy being on call, so customers may see me tackling the odd outage. Restoring power in a safe, timely manner is a big positive impact that I and every PLT strive to deliver to our customers. 

What’s something surprising, or a unique element of your job, that people unfamiliar with the work might find interesting?

I think something surprising that people might not realize is how many live-line hours we put in throughout the year. Customers won't see a disruption to their power because we can work on energized power lines. It's a lot of fun to execute, but I will say the rubber gloves are cold in the winter and hot in the summer; a small price to pay to keep the lights on for our customers.

Do you have a highlight, success or key memory that stands out from your time at FortisAlberta?

A major highlight in my career was being able to go to Prince Edward Island, after Hurricane Fiona hit, to help restore power for another Fortis subsidiary, Maritime Electric. Connecting with customers and fellow workers across Canada was a very rewarding experience. While it was tough being away from my own family for the three weeks I was there, helping an area that was decimated by the hurricane is something I will never forget.

How have you seen our service progress or improve in your role since joining the company?

I think the re-organization within the company a few years ago has helped by adding certain positions through all departments that assist us in the field. This has streamlined construction to provide quicker service on new builds.

How do you feel that change or improvement has resulted in better service for customers? 

I think FortisAlberta does an amazing job with collaboration between departments. We all “pull the rope in the same direction,” which has resulted in reduced timelines, faster restorations and improved service for our customers. 

Before you’re out in the field each day, what’s one thing you do to prepare for what can be a very challenging job?

Before heading out to the field each day, I would say coffee is a must. I am not the best morning person. After that, the team plans for the day ensuring we have the necessary materials for anything we might run into.

When you’re not at work, what might your community members find you doing? 

When I'm not at work, you can find me at sporting events for our six-year-old son, whether that’s on the soccer field or the golf course. If it's hockey, I might be at the arena for his, or my, hockey games. Other than that, we spend time on the boat on Lake Koocanusa. 

Do you have anything to add about your role at FortisAlberta, or anything you think our customers should know about our work?

I think our reliability has improved significantly with our repair programs, line patrols, automation of the grid and the amount of live-line work we do. There are so many things that contribute to a safe, reliable grid that might not be noticed daily. I think most interactions with customers occur when their power is out, and as a FortisAlberta customer myself, it is frustrating when the service you rely on leaves you in the dark. However, there is so much going on daily to keep the lights on that goes unnoticed, and good customer service is really at the core of FortisAlberta.