On Saturday, instructors from Cincinnati Children’s trained a new batch of certified child passenger safety technicians at Green Township Fire Department. The trainees included first responders, child care providers and teachers from around the region, who spent four days learning the ins and outs of proper car seat safety. The class wrapped up with a free car sat check to help parents and caregivers make sure they were using the right seat for their child, and that it was installed correctly.

As anyone who has used a car seat can tell you, making sure every buckle, belt, tether and latch is properly positioned and fastened with a child in the car is no easy task. Added to that, each seat might have a different an be used differently depending on the age, weight, and height of the child. The certification process ensures that each tech understands all these factors, as well as who they interact with the safety features of the vehicles such as seat belts, air bags, and the LATCH system.

Saturday’s car seat check was a big success. 16 cars came in, and 23 car seats in total were checked by technicians. Car seats were checked for any open manufacturer recalls, made sure that they were the right fit for their passengers, and technicians instructed caregivers to make sure they understood how to install  them properly each time.

In addition, parents who stopped in for the car seat check were able to sign up for our annual car sat giveaway! With the drawing only a week away, there is still time to get your name in.