Last year, as the fleet and facilities chief for Graham Fire & Rescue, I was able to hire our first mechanic. We are a medium-size department with a fleet of six engines, two tenders, four medic units, one ladder and a multitude of utility vehicles.

I am not naive enough to think one mechanic can meet all our fleet needs and requirements. However, we have proven by using this mechanic in a mobile fashion to filtering through the smaller problems and his ability to increase firefighter knowledge and training our overall maintenance cost have severally decreased.

Because we work under a strict public budget the cost of our in house maintenance program was limited. To make him as mobile as possible we purchased a used shop truck and refurbished it to meet our needs at a cost of about $20,000.

Our mechanic does not work in a dual role; he is strictly our maintenance specialist and is very good at what he does.

— Asst. Chief Ryan Baskett