State Vehicles Usage 101: What Everyone Needs to Know

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Read time: 6 minutes

“I saw a state vehicle on the weekend at a supermarket.”

“I saw a state vehicle on the road at a 2:00 a.m.”

“I saw a state vehicle being used on a holiday.”

There are some of the comments we get at DAS Fleet Services.

DAS Fleet Operations leases more than 3,500 vehicles to support the business requirements of over 85 state agencies. On average, our fleet vehicles log around 40,000,000 miles a year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - even on weekends and holidays.

Department of Social Service representatives and staff are bringing clients to run errands and attend therapy sessions during the week and on the weekend, so that special needs clients can learn life skills, like food shopping.

State Fire Marshals are called to the scene of a fire – the fire doesn’t care what time of day or night it is. And, late at night, or very early in the morning, a social worker can be helping a family in crisis. These events don’t always happen within the Monday-Friday, 9:00 – 5:00 time frame.

There are dozens of examples of state vehicle appropriate uses to continue to the state’s work 24/7/365.

Obviously, if you suspect misuse of a state vehicle we want to hear about it.

Our webpage, Fleet.ct.gov, and vehicle complaint form are available to notify DAS Fleet Services if anyone suspects misuse of a state-owned vehicle.
All state drivers are told that when you drive a state vehicle, obey the rules of the road. The public is watching!

Endorsements:

Being able to use the Fleet car to do outreach is such an important use of State Vehicles as we can connect the residents of CT to the services that could best benefit them, where they are at and doing so in a cost-effective, energy-efficient vehicle that saves taxpayer money vs the use of personal vehicles…it’s a WIN-WIN for the state.

Uri Marie Overend-Allen
State of CT Career Development Specialist
Department of Labor

DAS fleet vehicles are used in a variety of ways for the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection activities. From law enforcement at state facilities, to fish stocking, to oversight of radioactive materials to emergency response activities related to environmental containment and clean-up. We have a number of police officers, emergency spill responders, inspectors, environmental analysts, physicists, engineers, quality craft workers (i.e. plumbers, electricians, carpenters) and maintainers that support core functions within the Department.

Dennis Thibodeau
Chief of Fiscal Administrative Services 2
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

DAS fleet vehicles are used in the Air Program for radiation safety drills and emergency response, a broad array of field inspection work, field enforcement, and source emissions monitoring, to operate our network of air quality monitors, in 14 locations across the state. In addition, vehicles are utilized to attend state and regional meetings.

Tracy Babbidge
Air Bureau
DEEP


State Vehicles