The Municipal Equipment Maintenance Association (MEMA) of Southern California has announced that 2018 will be the group’s “Year of Training.” MEMA will offer advanced technical training classes for its membership throughout the year, with the goal of no or nominal cost to member entities in the Southern California region, President Paul Condran said at the association’s Dec. 7 meeting.

MEMA’s new program will focus on advanced training on specialized equipment such as fire and refuse trucks and will be sponsored by MEMA associate members. 

The group hosted its bi-monthly meeting at the Honda Museum in Torrance, Calif. Members enjoyed a tour of the private museum, which features classic Hondas from the ‘70s onward, as well as many of Honda’s race and concept cars. Annabel Cook of American Honda introduced the new Honda Clarity series of battery-electric vehicles and hybrid cars, and AssetWorks provided both lunch and an informative overview of the company’s fleet software products.

The meeting was rounded out with a toy drive for local families, industry updates, and announcement of upcoming MEMA Board elections in January.