Cost savings and administration efficiencies are anticipated by Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service as it becomes the latest ‘blue light’ fleet to turn to Jaama’s multi award-winning Key2 Vehicle Management system.
Hertfordshire County Council has used the technology for more than seven years to manage its fleet, which currently numbers 600 cars and 500 commercial vehicles, and now the county’s fire service wants to reap the benefits.
Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service operates a fleet of 180 vehicles, including 48 fire appliances, as well as a wide range of specialist and support vehicles.
Steve Holton was appointed Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service’s group commander for technical services 10 months ago, with a broad remit that included overseeing the fleet operation.
Mr Holton explained: “I undertook a review of the fleet operation and it was clear that we needed to introduce a management software system and move away from a manual regime based on spreadsheets.
“The County Council has successfully been using Key2 for many years so it made sense as a service within the authority to also utilise the technology.”
While Hertfordshire County Council is the custodian of the system, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service is becoming a user with Mr Holton explaining: “It will give myself and our fleet team a cradle to grave comprehensive account of the status of our vehicles in terms of service, maintenance and repair, fuel usage, accidents record and a raft of other in-life information.”
What’s more it will provide Mr Holton, fleet manager Brian Middleton and assistant fleet manager Jane Warren with a stream of financial information relating to whole life costs that will deliver budget forecasting improvements.
Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service anticipates to be fully using Key2 by the end of 2015 and is currently working with Jaama and Council colleagues to implement the system and train its own staff to use the technology.
Mr Holton concluded: “We now have an implementation plan in place and once Key2 is being used day-to-day we will reduce the fleet administration burden, operating efficiencies will increase and our ability to deliver budget forecasting improvements will save money.”
Hertfordshire County Council was Jaama’s first local authority client and Martin Evans, the leading software provider’s managing director, said: “The Council has reaped the benefits of introducing a state-of-the-art fleet management software system and now its Fire and Rescue Service is embracing those same best practice procedures.
“Over the coming months we will continue to work closely with the Service to ensure, following implementation, it derives a wide range of efficiencies and financial savings in a multitude of administration and operational areas.”