Lenin Fierro, a six-year employee of the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), died of the COVID-19 virus, DCAS announced yesterday. Fierro was the director of fleet safety and Vision Zero initiatives for DCAS Fleet Management.

Fierro, born in 1977, immigrated from Ecuador and served in the U.S. Navy for 10 years. He was integral in implementing components of the Vision Zero safety initiative, including training more than 60,000 city employees on safe driving and building the city’s first vehicle crash analytics system. He was proud of his partnership with the NYC Department of Education to provide paid internships, driver training, and pathways to careers in city government for high school students.

Fierro was enthusiastic, fun, caring, and committed to his job, Keith Kerman, deputy commissioner of DCAS and chief fleet officer, stated in the fleet newsletter. He attended every event, forum, and training opportunity and often did the Spanish segment for news pieces on Vision Zero and fleet.

“Lenin was always a tremendous inspiration and comfort to others. A sailor, a husband, a dedicated father. He was also, to so many of us, a true and dear friend,” Kerman wrote.

He is survived by his wife Brenda and two daughters.