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Newton County mechanic says fleet maintenance is critical to public safety
Summary
Andrew Waldrop, a mechanic for Newton County, told a meeting that routine maintenance on county vehicles — from oil changes and brakes to emergency equipment upkeep — keeps deputies, firefighters and other staff safe and able to respond during storms and other emergencies.
Andrew Waldrop, Mechanic 3 for Newton County, told a meeting that routine vehicle maintenance is essential to public safety.
Waldrop, who said he has worked in Newton County for five and a half years, described his daily duties as including oil changes, tire and brake work and other miscellaneous repairs. “I usually oil change tires and brakes, and the other miscellaneous work that may or may not come in, we'll take care of that,” he said.
He said fleet work extends beyond routine shop repairs. “And whenever there's a state of emergency, as far as tornado storms, anything like that, I help with road crew as far as make sure chainsaw is taken care of,” Waldrop said, noting he services a range of county vehicles “from Crown Victoria [patrol cars] to F-150s … basically anything that has county on Newton County side of it.”
Waldrop emphasized the safety stakes for first responders and county employees. “Fleeting is important aspect because without somebody to maintain the vehicles, it's kinda hard for the wheels to keep on moving,” he said. “We take care of make sure our public safety is priority number 1. And not only for the public, but also for the deputy, the fireman, the public works employees… I wanna make sure the vehicle is safe, and so that way they can go home every day and love their family.”
He also described the variable workflow in the shop, saying some days are slow and used for catch-up tasks and others keep staff busy from clock-in to clock-out.
The remarks were descriptive and did not include a request for a specific policy change or budget action. No formal action or vote on fleet management was recorded in the transcript.
