Palm Beach County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office fleet staff has obtained its third consecutive Blue Seal of Excellence from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). Eighteen of the fleet’s 21 technicians have an ASE certification, and five of these have a Master certification, according to Alan Lane, fleet maintenance manager for the Sheriff’s Office.

Lane said certifications such as the Blue Seal of Excellence and the fleet’s recognition as one of the 100 Best Fleets show deputies the efforts the staff goes through to stay current on training and provide the best services possible.

“The fact that they have the same credentials, if not better, than any retail dealership instills a level of confidence about who is working on the vehicles,” Lane said.

Incentives for certification help the fleet maintain its Blue Seal. Lane said an entry-level technician (Technician 1) can be promoted to a Technician 2 and compensated at a higher level once he or she obtains five ASE certifications. The fleet is also hoping to be able to compensate technicians who have achieved Master certifications.

“There are many fleets across the country that are faced with budget cuts, ours included, and having a fleet with certifications, awards, and a professional attitude gives our department the justification we need to defend our budget,” Lane said.

Palm Beach County covers 1,977 square miles, and its Sheriff’s Office deputies patrol diverse terrain that includes coastline, everglades swamp, and urban locations. The fleet consists of 2,800 vehicles. Fleet Management is divided into Fleet Administration -- in charge of buying, selling, and registering all vehicles -- and Fleet Maintenance, which does all maintenance and repairs. It has a total staff of 33.

By Thi Dao