“Like Riding a Roller Coaster as they Juggle a Dozen Eggs”
PG&E Electric Work & Resource Dispatchers & IBEW 1245 Members Nick Allgood and Mike Arizaga-Lopez.
On any given day, PG&E telephone lines are buzzing with customers’ calls from across its vast territory.
Serving nearly 16 million Californians from Bakersfield to Eureka, incoming calls include requests for services, help with customer billing, and sometimes, reports of downed wires, outages, or other emergencies.
Enter Electric Work and Resource dispatchers, who play an indispensable role keeping the power flowing and keeping communities and crews safe.
These IBEW 1245 members monitor, analyze and assess situations (both emergencies and non-emergencies), dispatch crews and resources in real time, and maintain clear lines of communication with first responders, crews and customers.
Origins
The Electric Dispatch Department was established in 2012 as part of the response to the deadly explosion in San Bruno, CA two years prior. The inaugural cohort consisted of twenty dispatchers, thirteen of whom hailed from the gas side of PG&E. The seven others were Assistant System Operators (ASO). Today, there are thirty-nine Electric Work and Resource Dispatchers. Nick Allgood, a 26-year IBEW 1245 member and Dispatcher, described the work, saying, “Our primary purpose is to ensure the safety of customers and crews as they perform emergency and non-emergency work by effectively and efficiently dispatching electric emergency work as well as non-emergency work.”
Emergency and Non-Emergency Work of Dispatchers
Emergency electric work includes downed wires, broken poles, trees on lines, structure fires, electrical dig-ins, and other electrical hazards that pose a threat to life or property. Allgood’s focus is on dispatching personnel when 911 emergency personnel are on site or en route to a hazard. He dispatches crews during EPSS outages and Gridware notifications.
He also handles numerous calls from Contact Center personnel, advising of immediate response field orders or requesting an override for a same day non-emergency customer field visit, typically a disconnect or reconnect of service.
In emergencies, Dispatchers coordinate with 911 and route T-men to mitigate hazards quickly. They are responsible for guaranteeing clear, quick communication during EPSS outages based on CPUC and company requirements and engage with field crews on location at all times to ensure they are safe while on jobs through hourly check-ins.
Non-emergency electric work such as installing electric service, disconnecting/reconnecting service, streetlights, inspections (capacitors, regulators, SCADA) and other work that does not pose an immediate hazard to life or property is also part of Electric Dispatchers core responsibilities.
The job is nonstop and requires a comprehensive working knowledge of PG&E systems, work groups, and fluency with computer programs and apps, and requires intensive training.
PG&E Electric Work & Resource Dispatcher/IBEW 1245 Member Tommy Keys.
Dispatch Training
New Dispatchers enter the department as Dispatchers-in-Training (DITs). As DITs, they must successfully complete a strenuous 6-month training that constantly challenges their ability to remain cool, calm and composed.
Upon completion of the training, they are required to pass a proficiency assessment in order to become a qualified W&R Dispatcher. This intense training provides an in-depth understanding of the Electric Distribution system with an emphasis on Human Performance Tools to communicate effectively with all customers, 911 and public agencies. A portion of the training is dedicated to conducting a thorough analysis of Dispatch and Mapping applications to safely and accurately monitor the fleet. Dispatchers master the geographical diversities of the service territory to identify potential impacts to response and travel time and provide an accurate Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) to 911 agencies.
Safety: the Number 1 Priority
“Ensuring the safety of customers and field partners is my number one priority!” Dispatcher Tommy Keys.
“I prioritize all work that poses a threat to life or property and make sure I get a resource as quickly as possible to the hazard,“ said Keys.
Just as important as safeguarding the safety of customers and crews is keeping the electricity flowing.
“The customer is the reason I have my job, and I make every effort to keep their lights on,” said Allgood.
Both Allgood and Keys stressed the importance of clear and timely communication with field partners, first responders, and customers for emergency and non-emergency situations.
IBEW 1245 Business Representative Eddie Moreno summed up the character of Electric Dispatchers, saying, “Electric Dispatchers possess an unmatched tenacity and dedication for providing safe and reliable service. Their commitment to ensuring the safety of our brothers and sisters in the field is inspiring. This group truly embodies the meaning of brotherhood. Having worked in a fast-paced, high-stress environment myself, I admire their persistent effort and perseverance when they are faced with challenges caused by procedural discrepancies, mismanagement of resources or the constant badgering of calls coming in. It’s like watching someone ride a rollercoaster as they juggle a dozen eggs while trying not to break one.”
– Contributions by Dispatchers/IBEW 1245 Members Mike Arizaga-Lopez, Nick Allgood, & Tommy Keys & IBEW 1245 Business Representative Eddie Moreno