Inside the Benton County motor pool on Friday were Sheriff’s Office patrol cars and other county vehicles. But a Corvallis Police Department cruiser, a golf cart from Oregon State University and fire engine from the Adair Rural Fire Protection District also were getting fixed.

The county’s vehicle repair and maintenance shop n which recently received a special recognition from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence n has 45 outside accounts totaling 1,200 different vehicles, said Jim Burke, county fleet manager.

“Their service is outstanding,” said Kevin Anderson, Albany Fire Department battalion chief in charge of maintenance.

Albany Fire Department became a client last year because the motor pool was less expensive than having its own mechanic certified to work on emergency vehicles. The turnaround was quicker, as well, which is extremely important when something like an ambulance breaks down, Anderson said.

Other outside accounts include the Oregon Department of Transportation in Benton, Linn and Lincoln counties, every Benton County fire department but Monroe, Alsea School District, Philomath Police Department and the Polk County Fire District, Burke said. Different departments at OSU make up about a dozen of the clients.

If the Benton County motor pool didn’t exist, emergency vehicles would have to go to Eugene or Portland for repairs.

The service benefits local government agencies, because the travel could be expensive and time-consuming, and vehicles could be out of service for a long time. Travel for vehicles to Albany even would add up for Corvallis-area agencies.

The outside clients also help the county, though, bringing in about 60 percent of the $1 million operations budget for the motor pool, said Roger Irvin, Benton County Public Works Director.

“The work performed by the motor pool for other jurisdictions pays for the Benton County motor pool’s overhead and new shop equipment,” said Commissioner Annabelle Jaramillo, in a news release.

“This is a business operation. It has to support itself,” Irvin said. He added it was an example of the county looking for efficiencies and doing more with the public’s dollar.

On Thursday, Benton County announced that its motor pool was recognized with the Blue Seal of Excellence by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. To qualify for the Blue Seal of Excellence, 75 percent of an organization’s mechanics must be certified in every area of service provided.

All of the Benton County mechanics are certified and seven are master certified. The motor pool has 10 workers, including Burke, a foreman and including a shop worker, who isn’t certified.

“I’m very proud of the guys. They didn’t have to do it,” Burke said.

The Benton County motor pool is the only organization in Oregon with the ASE Blue Seal of Excellence for government and civil repair, and one of only two with the recognition for medium and heavy truck repair, according to a county news release.

Donn Tanner, a mechanic for 35 years who joined the county motor pool in 2004, said training is a high priority for Benton County.

“Like all the mechanics there, I came from a private company where training was looked at as an expense instead of a long-term positive investment in the efficiency and quality of work produced,” Tanner said.

Kyle Odegard covers Benton County government, Philomath and rural Benton County. He can be contacted at kyle.odegard@lee.net or 758-9523.