TORRANCE, CA - Government Fleet magazine has named Josh Gerkin as the inaugural Technician of the Month for June 2012. Gerkin works with the City of Tucson's fleet services department as a certified automotive mechanic. He has 18 years of experience and has been with the City for 8 years.

He is an ASE Master Tech and is ASE certified in a number of areas, including Compressed Natural Gas and Advanced Engine Performance. Gerkin is responsible for repairing and rebuilding all types of vehicles and equipment for the City. Throughout his years with the City, he has found a number of ways to improve processes, saving labor hours and money.

John Tennant, fleet maintenance superintendent for Tucson's fleet services department, said Gerkin constantly looks for solutions to problems. He recognized the need for improved shop communication and led efforts to develop a shop-wide broadcast system that communicates critical information directly to each mechanic's workstation. He helped develop the police pursuit vehicle make-ready process, which reduced required man-hours by 20%. He developed the procedure for installing automated mileage update hardware on light- and heavy-duty vehicles. Tennant said both categories of units now experience minimal downtime when staff is installing this critical equipment. The equipment automatically updates unit mileage and sends it to the department's Fleet Information Management System.

Beyond those accomplishments, Gerkin recognized the need to update and add new vehicle diagnostics software, participating in the process to update the Genesis II system used and was behind adding Ford's IDS web-based diagnostics system to the department's available technologies. Since the department implemented the system, Gerkin has remained responsible for maintaining it and training other mechanics on its use. Tennant said Gerkin improved processes and saved money in a number of other areas as well.

"I congratulate Mr. Gerkin on this well-deserved recognition," said Tennant. "He has been instrumental in improving our overall capabilities and efficiency. As the go-to mechanic, his knowledge and skills continue to have a positive impact on our proficiency and quality of maintenance."

By Greg Basich