Colorado rescue agency targets costs with fleet optimization program

South Metro Fire Rescue Authority (SMFRA) in the metro Denver area is partnering with St. Louis-based Enterprise Fleet Management (EFM) to optimize its local fleet. The initiative covers light-duty non-emergency vehicles and aims to reduce fleet expenses.

As part of its fleet management strategy, SMFRA will reduce its current fleet by up to ten vehicles and pool several others to increase utilization. Prior to the partnership, SMFRA managed 51 non-emergency vehicles that it replaced, on average, every 15 years. EFM will provide 31 new leased SUVs and pickup trucks. Once fully implemented, the partnership is estimated to save SMFRA $15,000 per year.

SMFRA uses its fleet to provide fire prevention, life safety, emergency and rescue services to nearly 195,000 residents in the south Denver metropolitan area. “Safety is critical in our line of work, and we need our entire fleet to be reliable,” says Vince Turner, assistant chief of support services for SMFRA.

“Partnering with Enterprise Fleet Management to manage our light-duty non-emergency vehicles increases the efficiency and reliability of our fleet, as well as frees up our mechanics to focus on maintaining our first-responder vehicles.”

EFM will provide routine and regular maintenance, vehicle registration and use reporting for these vehicles, as well as a fuel card program that automatically monitors fuel purchases and miles for each vehicle. Once the vehicles have reached the optimum point in their lifecycle, EFM will leverage its remarketing expertise to auction and resell the vehicles for the SMFRA.

“Our local partnership with the South Metro Fire Rescue Authority ensures that their teams will always have new and reliable vehicles to do their important work,” says Steve Bloom, president of EFM. The full-service fleet management firm operates more than 50 offices nationwide.

“Replacing a large number of vehicles every few years can be a major capital expense,” Bloom notes, “but we can help organizations like SMFRA manage that cost and give them peace of mind that their fleet is well-maintained and cost-efficient.”

Learn more about Enterprise Fleet Management here.
 

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