Sertex Responds to Easter Holiday Outage Impacting DV Fiber Customers
At Sertex, our commitment to connectivity and safety doesn’t pause for holidays -- and Easter Sunday was no exception.
Early on April 20th, Sertex received a call about a critical fiber optic network outage affecting 136 DVFiber customers in southern Vermont. Four dedicated Sertex technicians who live in western Massachusetts and eastern Connecticut dropped their holiday plans and drove as far as 160 miles to restore service.
When the crew arrived, they learned that a high voltage power cable had contacted a tree branch, triggering dangerous electrical arcing. Electrical arcing occurs when the current jumps through the air instead of following its normal path, creating a visible spark and generating intense heat that can seriously damage nearby infrastructure or start fires.
In this case, the current jumped from the power line and traveled down the tree into the fiber optic cable below. The intense heat melted through the fiber, severing service.
The Sertex crew immediately got to work, collaborating with local utility teams to ensure the damaged fiber strand and cable were no longer energized and a safe work zone was established before beginning repairs. They worked through the night, diagnosing the damage and then meticulously replacing and splicing the affected fiber. By 5 a.m. on Monday morning, full service had been restored.
Critical Timing
Their fast, coordinated response came at a sensitive time. Southern Vermont was experiencing moderate drought conditions, and officials had issued fire risk warnings. The crew’s decisive action not only restored communication services – it may have prevented a dangerous fire and additional damage to local infrastructure and homes.
This emergency response is a powerful example of the skill, professionalism, and commitment that define Sertex personnel. Even in hazardous conditions, they are trained to put safety first and to rise to challenges without hesitation.
At Sertex, safety isn’t just a priority, it’s a core value. All personnel participate in mandatory biannual safety training to ensure they are prepared for any situation. We’re proud of our team’s selflessness and unwavering commitment to service. They stand ready to respond anytime, anywhere they’re needed.
