At Truckee Donner Public Utility District we are very proud of our Electricians! It takes a lot to do what they do on a daily basis and all while keeping safety as a number one priority.

Critical thinking: Smart, Safe, and Accurate Decisions in a timely matter

Complex Communication: processes that are precise involving complex mathematics

Consistently deliver the most up to date protocols and standards

Thank you for making our town light up! We appreciate all that you do!

For more safety tips, go to ESFi  (Electrical Safety Foundation International)

#NationalElectricalSafetyMonth 

Employee Spotlight: Chuck Fillman

TDPUD Electrician/Meter Technician

Chuck Fillman is TDPUD’s electrician/meter technician and has worked for the District since 2014, and has been in the electrician trade full time since 1980.

Chuck first got involved in this work back in high school; during the summers and after school he worked for his neighbor who was an electrical contractor, mostly wiring houses. At first it was a way for him to work through college, where he was studying agricultural engineering, but he soon switched gears and decided to go all in on being an electrician.

People most likely think about an electrician as someone you call to fix an electrical problem in your house, but electricians serve a crucial role across so many industries. In his more than four decades in the trade, Chuck has worked all sorts of electrician jobs, ranging from residential, commercial and industrial; from small companies to big companies; and in industries from mining to manufacturing, and even offshore drilling!

“Mostly I’ve done industrial electrical work, that’s the most complicated and the most interesting to troubleshoot because of the amount of different pieces of equipment involved and the sequence they have to operate in,” said Chuck.

Chuck said working on the electrical systems for mines was the most fun job he’s had, because you got to work on a system that had such a long process and that did different functions, so there was a lot to analyze and work through when you did have to fix something.

"Troubleshooting and problem solving are my favorite parts of the job. You have to dial in where the process went wrong, where the electrical problem started and what caused it,” said Chuck.

Here at TDPUD, Chuck’s job involves designing control systems and updating systems with newer equipment and technology and more modern and reliable configurations to make them work better and integrate with our new SCADA system. He also troubleshoots issues at water pump stations, makes sure substation meters are working correctly, and does inspections in the community on customers’ electrical services to make sure people's homes will operate safely – a task that the electrician team spent a lot of time on after this year’s big winter.

“The variety of this job is my favorite part,” said Chuck. “We might do metering one day, substation work another day, water systems troubleshooting and SCADA another day, so that keeps your mind going and thinking.”

For those interested in becoming an electrician, Chuck said some good traits to have are being analytical, being good at math, and being able to see the big picture.

“Even if you’re working on something small, you need to be able to see the whole scope of what you’re working towards,” said Chuck.

After nearly 44 years in the trade, Chuck will be retiring next year. He is looking forward to spending time in the outdoors and seeing the country. In his free time you can find him fishing, traveling or exploring ghost towns.

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