For immediate release
Thursday, October 17, 2024

 Press Contact: dgs.communication@Baltimorecity.gov

City of Baltimore Awarded ‘Public Fleet of the Year’
by Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition

Fleet Management Division of Baltimore’s Department of General Services (DGS) Recognized for Sustainability, Efficiency, and Service Excellence

BALTIMORE, MD – October 16, 2024 – The Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition (GWRCCC) today named the City of Baltimore Fleet Division as the Public Fleet of the Year as their annual awards luncheon in Greenbelt, Maryland. The award recognizes the Baltimore City Fleet for taking steps to become more sustainable and efficient. Recent achievements include:

1. Development of All-Electric Motor Pool, which currently includes approximately 50 vehicles, with 19 more on order. The program is expected to significantly reduce costs associated with vehicle rentals as well as reducing carbon emissions.
2. Electrification of Baltimore’s Administrative Fleet. In December 2023, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott signed legislation requiring all newly procured administrative vehicles — primarily light-duty sedans, pickups, and SUVs — to be zero-emission. Baltimore Fleet swiftly took action to implement the law, from the acquisition of electric vehicles (EVs) to studying, defining, and establishing the infrastructure that will be necessary to charge and service EVs.
3. Improved Communication with Agencies. In 2023 Baltimore Fleet created FleetStat, a new reporting program to serve City agencies by sharing data such as vehicle downtime and age of vehicles.
4. Earning Citywide Recognition. In 2024, members of DGS’s Fleet Leadership team – Chief Abrar Abukhdeir, Superintendent of Administration Nicholas Hirsch, and Superintendent of Maintenance Antwan Wilson – in partnership with leaders at the Department of Public Works, were named the Team of the Year by the Baltimore City Department of Human Resources for their efforts to reimplement weekly recycling pick-ups in the City. In 2023, the Employee of the Year for the City went to Fleet technician Donald McFadden, who helps maintain availability on fire equipment and provides mentorship to newer technicians. The citywide Team of the Year award also went to Fleet’s Truck Shop. Never in the history of Baltimore City has Fleet won both awards in a single year. 

“This award is a testament to the dedication and talent of our Fleet Division,” said Berke Attila, Director of the Baltimore City Department of General Services. “The 256 employees we are so fortunate to have servicing 4,612 vehicles at 12 locations throughout Baltimore City are a very special group of people who continue to set new standards of excellence. DGS, and the agencies we serve, are well served by the vision and support that our Fleet Division delivers every day.”