119 lines
5.9 KiB
Plaintext
119 lines
5.9 KiB
Plaintext
June 1991
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POLICE PRACTICES:
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ALTERNATE FUEL PROGRAM
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During the late 1970s, as the price of gasoline escalated
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and gas lines formed, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Department
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searched for an alternate fuel source to use in the department's
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fleet. Among other considerations, it was important to find a
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fuel that was clean burning. Because each car in the
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department's fleet logged over 86,000 miles per year, the cost
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of repairs and rebuilding was significant, and officials hoped a
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cleaner burning fuel would reduce these costs.
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After considering all the alternatives, department officials
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chose to convert its fleet to liquid propane gas use, because it
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met the following criteria:
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* It is readily available.
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* It produces yearly savings on fuel costs.
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* It burns cleaner, causing fewer cases of engine failure
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and need for replacement parts.
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* It is not affected by fluctuating oil prices or
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worldwide supply.
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THE CONVERSION
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When officials purchase a new car for the departments
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fleet, mechanics assigned to the in-house fleet garage remove
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the carburetor, the air cleaner, and the fuel pump and fuel
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line. (These parts are placed in storage until the department
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is ready to sell the car, at which time the original equipment
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is replaced.) Mechanics then put a new liquid propane gas
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carburetor and air cleaning device on the car, as well as a fuel
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lock off and converter. Last, they place a propane gas tank in
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the trunk of the car and make all the necessary connections.
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The initial cost to convert a car, using new equipment, is
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approximately $1,000, plus the cost of the mechanics labor.
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However, since some of the parts, such as the liquid propane gas
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tanks (which cost approximately $415) can be transferred to
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other cars, the cost of converting any replacement cars is less.
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REFUELING
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Department officials solicit bids each year from the
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distributors of propane gas, and the lowest bid is accepted.
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However, any distributor considered must also agree to be on
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24-hour call and must agree to provide supply trucks to respond
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to department cars that run out of fuel while on patrol during
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major catastrophes, such as hurricanes or tornadoes.
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The first vendor to supply the department with propane gas
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gave a 20-minute lesson on how to refuel safely, with an
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emphasis on how to bleed the valves on the car tanks. Now,
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experienced officers teach this simple technique and safety
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procedures to new officers.
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Officers refuel their vehicles at large propane gas storage
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tanks that are located at three refueling sites around the
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county. Should officers accidently drive off with the storage
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tank hose still connected to their tank, there are automatic
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shut-off valves on both the storage tanks and the tanks of the
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cars to prevent the escape of gas.
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Refueling department cars that are used on road trips may
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present more of a problem because liquid propane gas is not
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available at all service stations. However, recently, officers
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drove a department vehicle on a 2,000-mile road trip, and they
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experienced no difficulty in finding fuel. Many service
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stations and campgrounds sell liquid propane gas. There is also
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a directory available from the National Liquid Propane Gas
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Association that lists, by State, many sources of liquid propane
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gas.
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RESULTS
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During the past 11 years, over 200 vehicles used by the
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department have operated on liquid propane gas, including
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unmarked units used by the civil, warrants, and administrative
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sections. Overall maintenance costs are considerably less than
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they would be if gasoline were used in the units. The department
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saves approximately $1,000 per year on the fuel costs of each
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vehicle, and the longevity of the engine has been increased.
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Some departments replace patrol cars at 80,000 miles or
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less, but by using liquid propane gas, which does not leave
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carbon deposits in the engine, most vehicles will not need to be
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replaced until they register approximately 160,000 miles. In a
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department such as the Sarasota County Sheriffs Department, which
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has a one person, one patrol car concept, converting to an
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alternate fuel has resulted in a great savings.
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CONCLUSION
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In this time of shrinking budgets and increasing costs,
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every department should look for cost-saving programs. For
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departments that have large fleets of department vehicles, using
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an alternate fuel, such as liquid propane gas, may be a viable
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way to save money. When this reduction in costs is combined with
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the increased engine longevity found in vehicles using liquid
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propane gas, the substantial savings realized may allow
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departments to pursue other important programs they have
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previously been unable to afford.
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For further information or assistance on using liquid
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propane gas as an alternate fuel, contact the Sarasota County
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Sheriffs Department Office of Fleet Management, P.O. Box 4115,
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Sarasota, Florida 34230, (813) 951-5597.
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The information for this column was submitted by Lt. Bill
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Stookey, Sarasota County, Florida, Sheriff's Department.
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