At Citizens, many of the services our customers rely on every day happen behind the scenes. In our On the Job series, we're introducing you to the employees who help keep our water, wastewater, natural gas, and thermal energy utilities running safely and reliably.
This month, we're featuring Garrett Adler, a Field Services Representative in Westfield.
Tell us about yourself.
"My name is Garrett Adler. I'm a Field Services Representative here in Westfield. I've been here for four years."
How did you get into this work?
"I've been in construction my whole life. Managed a few moving companies here and there, but construction was always something that was part of my life. Before this, I used to line sewer systems and all that, so I had a basic good understanding of how that all worked. And that kind of got me in the door."
What interested you in this career path?
"I like that it's such a big company, and there's so much room to move around - and the career advances. I was stuck in a dead-end job before this and, since then, I've moved up two or three times. It's a great thing. I think the future is brighter."
What does a typical day look like for you?
"I meet up with my team. We get a game plan. We're typically doing routine maintenance, whatever it may be — manhole inspections, valve testing, hydrant repairs, you name it. We do it up here.
So we get a plan together, and we all hop in our trucks and take off and get it done."
What tools or equipment do you use most often?
"I use my computer a lot. We use valve keys to shut water mains down and stuff like that. That's probably the most utilized thing that we have."
What do you use your computer for?
"We look up GPS, view our maps and everything to see where everything is and how everything's routed, to make sure you're doing the right thing and you don't shut water off and put people out of water. We also see how sewer systems are routed and everything. You tend to learn it like the back of your hand eventually."
What skills are most important in your role?
"I would say problem-solving abilities. Being able to see past just what you can see. I wish I had X-ray vision, but I don't. But sometimes it feels like I do, so it helps."
How does what you do impact our community?
"There's a lot that goes into our job that the community doesn't see. Out of sight, out of mind. You don't see your sewer mains or your force mains or your water mains or anything like that, and that's fully my job.
There's also a lot of development going on, so we handle all of that — new water mains and tie-ins and all that kind of stuff. We orchestrate all that stuff, and it's very important, I think."
What's one thing about your work that people may not think about?
"The long hours that we put in. We do a lot of overnight stuff, too. We work 40, 50, 60 hours a week, if not more.
Like I said, out of sight, out of mind. You don't think about it until you see us in your front yard flushing a fire hydrant or opening your meter pit to test for a leak or something like that. We do all of that. All the complaints they call in, we handle it."
What motivates you to do all that?
"I like responsibility. I feel like I'm more important when I have more responsibility. And I like helping people and solving problems."
What's your favorite part of working at Citizens?
"The people. Mostly the people I work with. Just the commitment to the community that Citizens has, like all the charitable stuff that we do. I've been involved with a handful of that kind of thing, and I enjoy it. It's cool."
What do you enjoy outside of work?
"I like fishing and four-wheeling, and I cut a lot of grass, too. So there's that. But hanging with my kids and enjoying the outdoors."
What's one thing you want people to know about your work?
"Without the people who maintain it, it would all just go into ruin. That's why it's so important that we're out here testing and making sure everything is up to par. And if it's not, we fix it. So that's the important part."
Thank you to Garrett for giving us a behind-the-scenes look at the important work happening every day to maintain our water and wastewater systems in Westfield. Employees like Garrett help ensure our communities continue to receive safe, reliable utility services, often performing work that customers may never see but rely on every day.
Interested in joining the Citizens team? Explore current career opportunities and learn more about what it's like to work at Citizens by visiting our Careers page. Whether you're interested in field operations, customer service, engineering, skilled trades, or corporate support, there are opportunities to build a meaningful career while serving our community.
About Citizens Energy Group
Citizens Energy Group provides safe and reliable utility services to about 900,000 people in the Indianapolis area. Citizens operates its utilities for the benefit of customers and the community.
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Citizens Energy Group
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