PWC Fire & Rescue, Sheriff's Office Sponsor Free Safety Seat Check Event

Posted

According to Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue, approximately 90 percent of child safety seats are installed incorrectly.

"Caregivers feel they are ‘doing it correctly' but we see more than 90% misuse of these safety products countywide," said PWC Fire and Rescue Public Education Coordinator Robert Wall. "It’s not the seat that is the major issue in most cases but the use of the seat and the type of seat being used for the specific child."

In an effort to educate parents about the proper selection and installation of child safety seats, nationally certified child passenger safety technicians from Fire & Rescue will be available to check child's seats for free at the Sudley Manor Drive Chick-fil-A, on Thursday, June 21 from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Representatives from the Sheriff's office will also be on hand to issue free Ident-A-Child ID cards.

"We will have about six certified techs there and I can see us doing 40 or more seats if we have participation from the community. We will try to assist all that attend," Wall said.

While Prince William County has sponsored these events in the past, they are looking to inform as many residents as possible.

"Each of our county's fire stations has certified techs to assist people with this and as of today we have checked approximately 1300 seats this year," he said. "We are attempting to reach more people by doing child seat events in the field as well as our stations."

Wall advises parents and caregivers to take the time to research the proper seat for the height and weight of their children as well as one that fits the vehicle. He also encourages the purchase of a seat that will be used correctly each time.

"If it’s too complicated it will be misused by some; so keep it to what you can handle," he said.

Prince William County has 182 certified technicians and seven instructors on the national roster. The required national standardized child passenger safety technician certification course, which is required for new firefighter recruits, is usually 40 hours long and combines classroom instruction and hands-on exercises, as well as participation in community safety seat checkup events.

bristow, featured, manasas, news, prince-william-county-fire-and-rescue, safety-seat, va