Fleet Services Division Gets "Blue Seal" of Excellence

When you need your car fixed, you look for a skilled mechanic you can trust—and sometimes they’re not so easy to find.

But fortunately, when one of the County’s 3,900 or so vehicles needs repairs or maintenance, it goes to one of the best shops around: a Department of General Services Fleet Management garage.

The Fleet Management Division recently received external validation of its work in the form of the “Blue Seal” of Excellence from the ASE certification program. The “Blue Seal” is the same mark you see displayed in good commercial garages.

To qualify, the Fleet Management team had to meet specific criteria, including having 75 percent ASE-certified technicians. ASE certification involves training and written tests, so the achievement shows that County Fleet technicians are skilled and extremely knowledgeable. 

“With new technology, vehicle maintenance and repair has become increasingly complex,” said Sharyl Blackington, the Department of General Services Fleet Operations manager. “The required periodic testing through the ASE program helps the County maintain a competent and knowledgeable team of maintenance and repair professionals.”

This results in County departments seeing increased safety, lower maintenance costs and better service in vehicle and mobile equipment repairs.

Good service is essential to keeping the County moving. Fleet Management owns and operates one of the largest collections of government vehicles in the state, including motorcycles, cars, law enforcement vehicles, light-duty trucks and vans, fire apparatus, heavy-duty trucks, tractors, trailers and off-road and industrial equipment.

ASE stands for the nonprofit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. The group conducts the only industry-wide nationally recognized testing and certification program for automotive service and repair professionals.