How We Serve with the communication technician team

n a world that runs on constant connection, the communication technicians at Transmission Systems Maintenance (TSM) play a fundamental role in keeping Basin Electric’s telecom networks strong. Skilled at installing, maintaining, and repairing Basin Electric’s communication systems, they ensure our members continue to have the reliable power they count on to serve their members at the end of the line.

Chas Hertz, journeyman communication technician at Menoken TSM, is one of 11 people at Basin Electric who jointly maintains 224 different substation and tower communication sites.

Hertz and the team are responsible for maintaining several systems at the substation and tower sites, such as a bulk fiber system, microwave system, charging systems, back-up systems, and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system. To put it simply, they ensure all critical communication systems remain operational, providing reliable support for the infrastructure they help maintain.

Hertz and his teammates work 8- to 10-hour shifts, but if something happens overnight that requires immediate attention, one of them could get called in.

“We could get called in because we could lose a tower site from a storm, or there’s lost power at a site and the back-up generator fails,” Hertz says. “Or an ice storm could take down transmission lines and we could lose fiber on that link.”

One of the biggest issues Hertz and his team try to avoid is a tower going dark, meaning it has lost power or is no longer communicating.

“If we lose power, we have a back-up battery bank at the site that’s made up of eight big batteries. If the back-up generator was to fail, the batteries would kick on. They’re like a back-up to a back-up. But if they both fail, the tower would go dark, which could lead to communication problems,” Hertz says.

The back-up battery banks can last roughly eight hours, so time is of the essence to quickly get to a site to get power restored.

“One night, I got called out because a thunderstorm went through. I had to go there in the pitch dark because all the city lights were gone,” Hertz says. “But I was happy to do my part to get power back to everyone who relies on it.”

To avoid equipment failure, preventative maintenance is the best defense.

With critical systems to monitor like SCADA, microwave networks, and fiber-optic links connecting substations and field crews, even a minor disruption can lead to delayed responses, service interruptions, or safety hazards. By routinely inspecting, testing, and servicing equipment, Hertz and his fellow communication technicians can catch small issues—like degrading cables, failing batteries, or signal interference—before they escalate into major outages.

“Without communication technicians maintaining these systems, our substations couldn’t communicate with each other, so Basin Electric would have more disruptions and run into issues maintaining reliability,” Hertz says.

Sometimes issues are unavoidable, and it takes a larger team to find a solution. That’s when Hertz relies on other teammates, like IT employees, system protection technicians, substation electricians, telecom engineers, lineworkers, or other communication technicians, to partner with him to find a solution.

As one may guess, Hertz’s team often works closely with lineworkers. During a storm last year that took down transmission lines, Hertz says lineworkers rehung the cables while the communication technicians spliced the fiber. The fiber is made of tiny pieces of glass, and Hertz’s team has equipment to shoot a laser through it, which then transmits the data through the line.

“If there’s a transmission line that’s 25 miles long, there’s a splice in there,” Hertz says. “We’ll splice that and get it up on the structure, then go down another five or seven miles and add another splice and then another until the line is operational again.”

Equipped with technical expertise and a passion for problem solving, Hertz says one of the best aspects of the job is working with a teammate on a project.

“The most fun I have is when I can help other technicians, whether it’s remotely on the computer or phone or hopping in the truck to help them out for a week,” he says. “Last week I was up in Williston, and next week I’ll be in Gillette. Another set of hands or eyeballs is always nice on a project, and it’s a chance to learn from each other.”

Because the communication technicians work on multiple sites and cover for each other when necessary, Basin Electric has invested in systems that can support the cooperative’s needs now and into the future.

“Technology is always progressing, but at some point, it can’t excel too fast because you have to be able to maintain what you have. We have to be able to step onto a site and know how to troubleshoot any issues. So, if I install a piece of equipment at one site, it’s going to look the exact same at another site,” Hertz says. “A lot of what we know is hands-on. We get together and discuss what could or should happen and learn from each other. That way everyone is doing things the same way.”

The work of a communications technician isn’t without risk. A lot of the work Hertz does is on high-voltage power lines and high-current equipment at substations, so extra caution is taken to avoid electrocution or arc flashes.
An added challenge is working outside during cold and severe weather. “We are working with small parts so we often can’t work with gloves on, and it can be hard,” Hertz says.

Icy conditions make accessing equipment especially hazardous because there’s an increased risk of slipping or falling while working at heights. Falling ice is another danger, where large chunks of ice can break off transmission structures and strike a worker.

“Sometimes there’s a massive ice build-up on the towers and I have to weigh how close I want to get,” Hertz says.

Despite the challenges, Hertz says he loves what he does because he’s able to serve his community and Basin Electric’s members.

“It means a lot to play a part in supplying power to friends and family throughout the region,” Hertz says. “They may not know it, but I know I’m helping out and doing work that is important.”