POLICE LANE
Minimum Training for New Fleet Managers
By Scott Coy Now you can put that high school math to work.
were the sergeant on midnights and today you are the new fl eet manager. Regardless of your previous experi- ence or training, you are now responsible for maintaining a safe, functional and cost effective fl eet. For that, and right away, you will need training. Moreover, you
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will need networking. Don’t be intimidated about your new as- signment. You may be better off than you think since you haven’t developed any bad fl eet habits. T e training may not be as formal as DHS training on handling a HazMat situation, but the training does need to happen. T ere is a lot to learn. Some of it will save your department money and some of it could possibly make you a hero. From Day One, you need to reach out to those other fl eet manag-
ers you already know. Many have been doing this for some time and they can share with you what secrets they have learned. T ere are online resources, such as Police Fleet Institute, which off er training and networking. Sites such as LinkedIn also provide an avenue of resources and groups from which you can draw knowledge. Making a shameless plug here—you can get great training and
even better contacts at one of the two annual Police Fleet Expos. By visiting one of these Expos, you will gain so much more than the educational content and can face time with the vendors on the show fl oor. T e networking opportunities will be priceless and off er you far more than any structured course on fl eet management. You will meet professional fl eet managers, vendors, shop managers. When I took over as fl eet manager for my agency, one of the fi rst
things that caught my attention as critically important was writing proper bid specs. In many small agencies, the same person who bids the back- hoes, dump trucks and admin vehicles also bids the police vehicles. T ese obviously are not the same kind of vehicles and need diff erent attention.
Ed Sanow I Editorial Director
Sgt. Ed Sanow is the editorial director of Police Fleet Manager magazine and can be reached at
esanow@hendonpub.com.
Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.—Steve Jobs
To post your comments on this story, please visit
www.pfmmagonline.com.
he position of police fl eet manager usually comes with a promotion. It is often a stepping stone as someone moves through the ranks. Yesterday, you
By partnering with your municipal fl eet person, you can absorb a
lot of knowledge and become acquainted with the purchasing poli- cies of your jurisdiction. Make sure you explore what others have bid before you reinvent the wheel. T ough it varies by jurisdiction, many places will allow you to piggyback on either a state or other locality bid. T is will save you a lot of time and generally a lot of money. Did you ever wonder if and where you were going to use that
high school math? As a self-proclaimed businessman in government, I often felt there was a lot of arbitrary ways of getting things done. One such thing was the cycle with which police vehicles were ro- tated. Several years ago, I met a mathematics professor from Texas, Giant Aryani, from whom I learned the process of completing a lifecycle cost analysis. Intimidating at fi rst, this process is the simple use of a spread-
sheet and applying numbers that are typically available from your own fi les or wherever your vehicles are serviced. By applying this practice, you will put numbers on paper that will help you decide which police vehicles to buy and how long you should typically keep them, assuring you get the most out of the money you’re spending. You will be able to off er a business plan to your administrators and become the fi scal hero of your jurisdiction. Finally, the biggest piece to your success in fl eet management
comes from your enjoyment of what you are undertaking. T e only budget in a police department larger than fl eet is personnel, which makes it a notable responsibility and in need of proper management. Using the training off ered by such groups as Police Fleet Expo and Police Fleet Institute, your own networking, and a dash of the passion you have for law enforcement, you will be well on the road to success.
Scott Coy, Police Fleet Expo Chair, was a lieutenant with the Western Michigan University Police Department. He brought the practice of private business into government as it pertained to his responsibilities at the department. This practice created a bar of fi scal responsibility not only in the management of his department’s fl eet, but has been shared via published articles and in person with several agencies. Scott was also responsible for all technology deployed at the department from radios to computers, whether it be in the patrol car or offi ce. He can be reached at
scoy@hendonpub.com.
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www.pfmmag.com
SGT. ED SANOW
www.pfmmag.com 63
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