Newsletters

Field Notes - Quarterly eNewsletter

Winter 2021
This final article in a series of four on Reliability Centered Maintenance helps you understand what “normal” condition for equipment means according to NFPA 70E, get caught up on the latest news regarding the 2020 NEC task group, learn how we can help with unplanned outages, see our past and upcoming events!

Fall 2020
This third article in a series of four on Reliability Centered Maintenance will help you understand why designing with maintenance in mind will save you money, find out the most significant changes in the 2021 edition of NFPA 70E, read a case study about a one-off “unicorn” of a circuit breaker and see what online events have been happening.

Summer 2020
This second article in a series of four on Reliability Centered Maintenance explores different maintenance strategies, learn how NCCER is providing online learning options during the pandemic, find out how to keep your system safe and see what National is up to in the fall.

Spring 2020
This first article in a series of four on Reliability Centered Maintenance will help you understand why you need to do maintenance, watch a video on how our quality assurance program sets us apart, learn what it means to be a PEARL accredited member company and see what we’ve been up to during this time when live events have been postponed.

Winter 2020
Get the latest update on the reconditioning changes to the NEC 2020, listen to Eric Beckman, PE, explain the most important aspect of NERC Standard PRC-005, hear how training makes all the difference for new National technicians, find out how National is swinging for the fences at PowerTest 2020, and learn about our past and upcoming events!

Fall 2019
Read about how you can prepare for a planned maintenance outage, find out how National uses an engineering mindset to improve testing, learn about PEARL’s new online certification platform, and find out about all of National's past and upcoming events!

Summer 2019
Get updated on the proposed changes to the NFPA-2020 NEC that could impact you, see how National is taking the lead on closing the technician shortage, understand the significance of new monitoring power distribution systems, and take a look at recent events that National has been a part of this past quarter!

Spring 2019
Take a look with National’s Training and Safety Manager at the anatomy of a substation, understand the frequently cited OSHA violations in 2018, get more details on the 2019 PEARL Conference, see National Switchgear’s new President, and see what else National has been part of and has coming up!

Winter 2019
Learn about PEARL’s ANSI accredited reconditioning standard, check out National’s new TrainSafe^TM Mini, get more details on our presence at PowerTest^TM 2019, take a look at National’s newest hire to take over as Information Technology Director, and check out all of our recent and upcoming events.

Fall 2018
Learn about the consequences of human error, read a Q&A with our Southwest Division Area Manager Ashley Herndon about winning the 2018 Affiliate of the Year award, review recent changes to NERC standards as they apply to supply chain cybersecurity, see our recent CEO transition press release, and review our recent and upcoming events. 

Summer 2018
See how National is redefining electrical safety with its new training simulators, learn key identifiers of partial discharge, gain insight into the quest for a sustainable future with remanufacturing techniques, and review our recent and upcoming events. 

Winter 2018
We look at the importance of maintenance plans, review the concept of human performance which has recently been introduced into NFPA 70E-2018, review the most important updates to NFPA 70E, introduce our new Nevada locations, and highlight recent and upcoming events.

Fall 2017
The National companies employ several military veterans, learn how to make your company more resilient to disaster, read our expert opinion on third party commissioning services, and see our recent and upcoming events, including new training courses from the NTC.

Summer 2017
Our National Training Center is now NCCER accredited, read a Q&A with former PEARL President Doug Powell on the recent PEARL Conference and new branding, learn how the summer heat can affect your electrical equipment and what you can do about it, and learn more about National's participation in recent conferences and events.

Winter 2017
Read a Q&A with President Robert Koren on National Switchgear's 30 years of success and how the industry has changed, see how the combined strengths of NSG and NFS helped a university get their electrical equipment upgraded in only a fraction of their originally planned outages, access our white paper presented at the 69th annual relay conference, and see all the shows and conferences we'll be attending.

Fall 2016
See how NFS repaired a breaker for an electricity provider while the transmission line was still energized, read a Q&A with the new secretary of the NETA Board Eric Beckman, learn about OSHA's requirements for electrical safety, and see the shows and conferences we're attending and the webinar we're offering.

Summer 2016
Learn more about the new NFS branch officially opened in the Houston area, read a Q&A about what makes NFS engineers different, find some ideas on mitigating DC arc flash hazards, and see the conferences and events we'll be attending.

Spring 2016
Read about the paper that NFS will be presenting at the Texas A&M Relay Conference in April, get all the details on our plans for PowerTest 2016, read a Q&A with a recent NTC Apprenticeship Training Program grad, and see all the shows we're attending in the upcoming months.

Winter 2015
Find out about the 4 Key Maintenance Strategies to consider when planning next year's budget; learn more about NFS's aggressive new recruiting and training program that will benefit the industry as a whole; read two great resources for DC arc flash calculation information; find out more about PowerTest 2016 and National's plans for it; and see the other shows and events we're attending.

Summer 2015
Learn how NFS teamed up with NSG to get a food company back up and running in just 3 days; check out our course catalog to see all the courses the NTC can offer; learn more about the NCCER; learn how the latest edition of the NFPA 70E rewards companies for maintaining their electrical equipment; and see the shows and events we're attending.

Spring 2015
We've launched two new branches in Central Texas and on the Gulf Coast; we provide an overview of the changes to NFPA 70E for 2015; we cover how the signal frequency spectrum can be used for Condition-Based Maintenance; we introduce our new Corporate Safety Director, Andrew Brown; we highlight upcoming conferences; and we're offering training courses at our National Training Center.

Fall 2014
We discuss our consulting capabilities in reliability, safety and compliance; we provide an overview of the new OSHA standards for electric power generation, transmission, and distribution and electrical protective equipment; we encourage water utility customers to take advantage of slow months for electrical equipment maintenance; we're going to PowerTest in March 2015; and we've hired our first ever Training Program Manager.

Summer 2014
We shine a spotlight on outage testing services with a look at a planned outage for a major manufacturer; We share five key reasons why it's great to have National Switchgear as a partner; We'll be attending TSDOS in September; and NETA provides a guest article looking forward to PowerTest 2015 in Nashville.

Spring 2014
We highlight our Disaster Recovery services and how we helped a major consumer products packager get back online; We examine the importance of Predictive Maintenance (PdM); We'll be attending 7x24 Exchange and TSDOS in the coming months; and we look at NERC Compliance and how we're helping the Wind Energy market.

Winter 2014
We've amped up our social media presence, so be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn; We look back on the Super Bowl XLVII power outage and highlight the importance of 3rd-party acceptance testing; We look ahead to the new 2015 NFPA 70E standard and answer seven key questions about the upcoming changes; We look forward to seeing you at PowerTest 2014 and BOMA Dallas; and we congratulate one of our own - Eric Beckman - on attaining NETA Level IV Certification.

Fall 2013
Our new National Training Center opens, providing a state-of-the-art instruction and training environment; We deploy a new L-series DILO SF6 gas cart to better server our power generation, utility and large industrial clients; We hope to see you at Fine Point Circuit Breaker Testing & Maintenance Training Conference and PowerTest 2014; and we look back on the Delek Refining fire and reflect upon the importance of having a disaster recovery plan in place - before disaster strikes.

eNewsletter Archives

Quarterly Newsletter 7
Safety Manager Tyler DeBey discusses how personnel audits help maintain a culture of safety at National Field Services and throughout the industry; Vincent DeMaio of EA Technology writes about partial discharge techniques for measuring the condition of ageing HV/MV switchgear; and the National Training Center is ready to educate the workforce and consumers on electrical safety issues.

Quarterly Newsletter 6
The theme of this edition is safety and planning. NAT'L is an industry leader in that regard and we've proudly teamed with OSHA in a nationwide challenge to ensure safety in the workplace. This issue also includes the last installment of a four-part series on Arc Flash Mitigation, focusing on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Personnel Safety, the last line of defense against injury caused by arc flash explosions. Finally, we explore the importance of a Disaster Recovery Plan. If you don't have one or you need help updating yours you can contact NAT'L today.

Quarterly Newsletter 5
Our four-part series on Arc Flash Mitigation continues with a look at how to identify equipment adjustments, modifications, and upgrades needed to ensure a safe work environment. Plus, we offer an expert's view of important changes in 2012 NFPA 70E, and show how working with a NETA-accredited company is your best bet. Finally, learn the benefits of becoming a NETA affiliate member.

Quarterly Newsletter 4
In this newsletter, we continue our four-part series on Arc Flash Mitigation with an arc flash study conducted by NFS. In other news, NICET announced its newest technician certification program. We also implemented the Green Team as part of our environmental initiatives, and we talk about how reconditioning aging equipment can be more cost-effective while having a positive impact on our environment.

Quarterly Newsletter 3
The first installment of a four-part series on Arc Flash Mitigation examines how distance equals protection from potentially deadly Arc Flash Blasts. Then, we also explore the costs and benefits of a comprehensive preventive maintenance program; and we offer an overview of how National Field Services and National Switchgear are preparing for future growth in the coming years by building a new 23,000-square-foot facility, which is on target to open in the spring of 2012.

Quarterly Newsletter 2
We take a look back as our sister company, National Switchgear, celebrates 25 years of superior service to their loyal customers; a look at the here and now, as National Switchgear sponsors a team on the family-friendly AMA Supercross circuit; and a look ahead, as National Field Services president Doug Powell is helping revive NICET certification testing for Electrical Testing Technicians. Plus, we offer a chance to win a Kawasaki KXF 250 bike!

Quarterly Newsletter 1
National Field Services announced their NETA certification after a decade of hard work. We discussed the NFPA 70E changes and how it affects you as well as our attendance at the 2011 Electrical Maintenance and Safety Conference. We also announced a new addition to our family of products: the SF6 Multifunction Analyzer.