9 minute read
ONE-ON-ONE WITH FLEET MANAGERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
POLICE FLEET MANAGER GOES ONE-ON-ONE WITH FLEET MANAGERS ACROSS
THE COUNTRY PFM FALL 2021
BY POLICE FLEET MANAGER STAFF
Police vehicles are integral to law enforcement agencies operating ef ciently and effectively. Of cers spend a lot of time in their patrol cars, and they have become a mobile of ce in many respects. Managing these eets is a major responsibility, regardless if an agency is small or large. Although terrain and weather conditions might impact the wear and tear on police vehicles, there are several other issues that can affect any department’s eet, whether it is located on the East Coast, West Coast, or in the Midwest. After a successful Police Fleet Expo 2021, Police Fleet Manager talked to more eet managers about how their jobs have changed over the past several years and the topics they are most concerned about.
Dave Henrichs Fleet Administrator Sarasota County, FL Sheriff’s Office
Question: How long have you been a Fleet Manager? Answer: I have been a eet manager for 14 years. I have been with the agency for more than 38 years.
Q: What are a few of your key, primary responsibilities?
A: Overseeing the purchasing of vehicles, emergency equipment, vehicle parts, fuel, and more.
Q: If you had to pick one or two eet-related issues that “keep you up on a Sunday night,” what would they be?
A: Currently, it is the lack of vehicle availability due to the microchip shortage.
Q: Have you ever been to Police Fleet Expo? If so, what was your experience like?
A: Yes, I have been attending since it started, with the exception of the last two years due to the pandemic. It is an excellent conference/expo.
Q: How do you keep up on new vehicles, new vehicle equipment, and new products in the market?
A: Pretty much the list you gave as examples and in the order you have them in: Manufacturer reps who call or visit the department Trade Shows (like PFE) Trade Magazines (like PFM) Email Solicitation (notices in your email about a new product) Mail (postcards, yers) Colleagues (other Fleet Managers)
Q: Who actually makes the vehicle purchasing decisions within your agency?
A: I do, I review the vehicles in the eet and present our needs to my chain of command. en based on our budget, we may adjust the number of vehicles that get replaced each year.
Q: Who makes the following purchasing decisions in your agency regarding the following items: Vehicles Radios Body Cameras Rugged Laptops or other items for the vehicle Lightbars and other exterior equipment for the vehicle
A: I do, for most everything vehicle and equipment related.
Q: Is it di cult to get vehicles or vehicle parts right now, due to the supply chains being disrupted during the pandemic?
A: Yes, it has been challenging for a lot of various parts.
Q: Is hiring good, quali ed personnel to work within the eet departments a problem? Do you have several vacancies?
A: Currently, we have a full sta . But yes, it can be di cult to nd quali ed sta . We hired both an automotive technician and an emergency equipment installer last year. It was di cult to ll both positions with a quali ed person.
Q: Are the costs of maintaining a eet of vehicles coming in higher than other years or about the same?
A: Yes, everything has gone up, the lack of supply versus demand.
Q: How are you handling all the new technology in the vehicles today? Is it making your job easier or more complicated?
A: A little of both; we are very fortunate to have a very quali ed, great, smart group of people that take a lot of pride in their jobs.
David Milligan Fleet Manager City of Durham, NC Police Department
Question: How long have you been a Fleet Manager? Answer: I have been a Police Fleet Manager for 10 years, and I have been a Tech in Automotive Electronics for 41 years.
Q: What are a few of your key, primary responsibilities?
A: Vehicle assignments/inventory, purchase and replacement, equipment speci cations and oversight of installations and service/repairs, department accident review board.
Q: If you had to pick one or two eet-related issues that “keep you up on a Sunday night,” what would they be?
A: Vehicle availability
Q: Have you ever been to Police Fleet Expo? If so, what was your experience like?
A: Yes, I have attended several PFEs. It is a good opportunity to view current technology and innovations in our industry.
Q: How do you keep up on new vehicles, new vehicle equipment, new products in the market? Include all that apply.
A: All of the below: Manufacturer Reps who call or visit the department Trade Shows (like PFE) Trade Magazines (like PFM) Email Solicitation (notices in your email about a new product) Mail (postcards, yers) Colleagues (other Fleet Managers)
Q: Who actually makes the vehicle purchasing decisions within your agency? Include all that apply.
A: Myself with coordination among other individuals.
Q: Who makes the following purchasing decisions, in your agency, regarding the following items: Vehicles Radios Body Cameras Rugged Laptops or other items for the vehicle Lightbars and other exterior equipment for the vehicle
A: Myself
Q: Is it di cult to get vehicles or vehicle parts right now, due to the supply chains being disrupted during the pandemic?
A: New vehicles and up tting equipment have been noticeably slower, close to 12 months in some cases.
Q: Is hiring, good, quali ed personnel to work within the eet departments a problem? Do you have several vacancies?
A: We have been understa ed for years. Our shop is responsible for over 550 vehicles with only two techs and myself.
Q: Are the costs of maintaining a police eet (or eet of vehicles) coming in higher than other years or about the same?
A: We allow 5 percent cost growth per year as a general rule.
Q: How are you handling all the new technology in the vehicles today…is it making your job easier or more complicated?
A: No signi cant change in our approach for vehicles and out tting. Hybrids and electric vehicles are now nding their way into our builds and we have adapted well.
Matt Foscue US Border Patrol Academy Fleet Artesia, NM
Question: How long have you been a Fleet Manager? Answer: 2 years – I am a law enforcement agent who started assisting with eet at the training academy then took over primary responsibility.
Q: What are a few of your key, primary responsibilities?
A: Planning, directing and managing a 435-vehicle eet along with an additional 200+ ATVs, UTVs, and trailers. Tracking, verifying, and budgeting for eet maintenance and repairs.
Q: If you had to pick one or two eet-related issues that “keep you up on a Sunday night,” what would they be?
A: Ongoing, largescale issues – such as rapidly aging vehicles that are di cult to replace. e myriad “little” tasks that seem like death by a thousand cuts will often jolt me awake in the early morning – “did I do that yet?” kind of stu .
Q: Have you ever been to Police Fleet Expo? If so, what was your experience like?
A: I have only been this one time. My experience was good in that I was able to meet with several product and industry representatives and discuss issues unique to our eet. Face-to-face meetings away from computers can be an incredibly productive exchange of ideas. Computer, phone, and emails are often focused on a speci c issue. e chance to banter in an environment without time pressure generates new ideas and resolutions.
Q: How do you keep up on new vehicles, new vehicle equipment, new products in the market? Include all that apply.
A: Manufacturer reps who call or visit the department, which is rare, but extremely bene cial. UNICOR representatives visited, and we gave them a driving demo and a new vehicle product was developed as a result. As far as the following: Trade Shows (like PFE): occasional – one to two a year Trade Magazines (like PFM): none
Email Solicitation (notices in your email about a new product): mostly disregarded Mail (postcards, yers): do not receive mail Colleagues (other Fleet Managers): most valuable resource, I reach out to others with more experience frequently
Q: Who actually makes the vehicle purchasing decisions within your agency? Include all that apply.
A: Vehicle purchases are conducted using established agency protocols.
Q: Who makes the following purchasing decisions, in your agency, regarding the following items: Vehicles Radios Body Cameras Rugged Laptops or other items for the vehicle Lightbars and other exterior equipment for the vehicle:
A: Same as above, purchase decisions are conducted using established agency protocols.
Q: Is it di cult to get vehicles or vehicle parts right now, due to the supply chains being disrupted during the pandemic?
A: Yes. We are still waiting on vehicles ordered in 2019.
Q: Is hiring, good, quali ed personnel to work within the eet departments a problem? Do you have several vacancies?
A: Yes, we are in a rural area with a healthy economy. I do not do hiring, but it is a constant issue attracting good people to a rural area.
Q: Are the costs of maintaining a police eet (or eet of vehicles) coming in higher than other years or about the same?
A: With only two years of experience, I cannot comment on that.
Q: How are you handling all the new technology in the vehicles today…is it making your job easier or more complicated?
A: e new technology is making the job easier for most, but the eet managers have more work. While it is incredibly convenient to refer to your computer for updated vehicle information, there are more databases to maintain and more electronics issues to deal with. Telematics, for instance, completely relieved operators/drivers of tracking fuel expenses and reporting mileage, but it has shifted monitoring and tracking telematics problems to the eet managers. Additionally, as more data becomes available, there are more requirements for eet managers to provide that data in a palatable form to satisfy increasing policy requirements
2022 2022 TBA TBA
