NAPFM
The National Association of Police Fleet Managers (NAPFM) was formed in April 1986 after receiving approval from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) in February of the same year. The formation arose from an Annual Police Fleet Engineers Seminar that had already been running for thirteen years in Wiltshire.
NAPFM membership covers all UK police forces and some enforcement agencies from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland along with non-Home Office Forces such as British Transport Police and Ministry of Defence as well as the UK Border Agency, H.M. Prison Service, Hong Kong Police and the Garda Siochana in Ireland.
In order to deal with the ever increasing workload, the National Executive Committee is supported by a series of Sub-Committees:
- Procurement
- Technical
- Performance & Benchmarking
In partnership with the Home Office Commercial Directorate the NAPFM produces National Framework Procurement Contracts for such things as vehicles and vehicle parts, tyres, fuel, oil, glass, vehicle audible and visual warning, as well as vehicle disposal and ‘End of Life’ disposal. These frameworks have long been recognised to be the best in class and have delivered multi-million pound savings to the Police Service. Many of the contracts are now available to the other Emergency Services. As the Government seeks to make framework contracts pan government different groups are starting to lead in specific areas of procurement.
The NAPFM is currently working with the ACPO Vehicle Standardisation Group to standardise the role of vehicles within the UK Police Service. This dovetails with the collaborative work being undertaken with the ACPO Intelligent Transport System (ITS) Group. This group is developing a Single Vehicle Architecture “One Box” system for vehicles as well the Driver and Vehicle Data Management System.
NAPFM Event
In 1973 the Wiltshire Constabulary hosted a Police Fleet Engineers Seminar at Police Headquarters in Devizes. This was to become an annual event which is still hosted and run by Wiltshire. Gradually the event grew from just a seminar to include a small exhibition. The original ethos of collaboration to improve standards and save money for public sector is as important today as it was four decades ago. The Public Sector and in particular the Police Service owes a tremendous gratitude to officers back in 1973 who ‘grasped the nettle’ and started an event of such public importance.
With the formation of the NAPFM the event changed its name to the NAPFM Conference & Exhibition. The NAPFM Event is widely acknowledged to be one of the best emergency service transport events in Europe, attracting a wide range of both national and international delegates. With the participation of all the Emergency Services, Enforcement Agencies, various Government Departments and the Military, the NAPFM Conference and Exhibition is one event that is firmly in the diary for those involved with Public Sector fleets.
To reflect the change to a more pan government procurement policy the 2013 event sees a name change for the exhibition to the Blue & Amber Light Fleet Exhibition. This change of name coincides with a change of location to a predominately indoor venue at Telford International Centre.
