By Mark Wineka
mwineka@salisburypost.com
Think of the Fleet Services Division as the vehicle service department for the city of Salisbury.
It’s responsible for the repair and maintenance of 565 major pieces of equipment and 296 pieces of small machinery.
City buses, fire trucks, police cars, garbage trucks, street washers and the rest of the city’s fleet depend on the garage on North Fulton Street for service. The garage also tackles things such as generators.
“We have our hands in a little bit of everything,” Fleet Manager Jake Sterling said.
Trouble is, the 14-bay facility, built in the 1960s, isn’t big enough for many of the city’s oversized vehicles.
The garage bays aren’t long enough, wide enough or tall enough to deal with vehicles such as Fire Department ladder trucks or the Landscape Division’s big tub grinder.
Service personnel often have to work on many pieces of equipment outside.
Other problems with the present garage are the lack of parking, inadequate workspace between bays, no storage room for parts and tires, poor layout and limited bathroom facilities.
Sterling said the garage affects the efficiency and effectiveness of his 15-employee division and presents some safety concerns as they work outside or in tight, confined spaces.
A new facility also would be required for any future growth.
At the City Council’s retreat last week, the Fleet Services Division presented a strategic plan, a process all city divisions and departments go through on a periodic basis.
As of now, there is no proposed location for a new garage and no analysis of how much one would cost.
The Fleet Division has drawn a garage design, which would include at least eight oversized bays up to 90 feet long and 25 feet wide. Ceilings would be 30 feet high.
Besides being more efficient, a new garage might allow the Fleet Division to take on the service work for other municipalities or agencies, the strategic plan said.
Salisbury already services Granite Quarry fire trucks and Downtown Salisbury Inc.’s trolley.
The strategic plan said one of the strengths of the Fleet Division is the automotive training of its employees.
The garage is an ASE Blue Seal shop, and the staff has 160 ASE certifications in all.
But specialty training is a weakness.
“Unlike many municipal fleet divisions, Salisbury repairs emergency vehicles, generators and other essential small equipment,” the strategic plan said. “Emergency vehicle training, specifically bucket and aerial training, would increase the abilities of the fleet division.”
Other concerns for the Fleet Division include making sure it has access to fuels during supply shortages; the rising costs of fuel, parts and labor; and keeping up to date with new environmental regulations.