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July 8, 2005
Shelley Szafraniec, APR
Community Information Specialist

Volusia County Fire Services Conducts Child Safety Seat Checkpoint

Volusia County Fire Services will conduct a child safety seat checkpoint in Orange City, Friday, July 15, from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. The checkpoint is sponsored in part by the Flagler / Volusia County Child Passenger Safety Team and will be in the parking lot of the Wal-Mart Super Center, 2400 Veterans Memorial Parkway, Orange City.

At the checkpoint, trained firefighters will be available to check car seats for correct size, installation, and to ensure the car seat is not on a recall list from manufacturers. In addition, parents will be educated on the dangers associated with loose items in a car (they can become projectiles in an accident), and to check back with fire services for additional child safety seat checks (the typical child will need two car seats). Also, during the checkpoint, car seats are available for a nominal fee ($10) for families not able to afford a car seat. (The $10 fee goes to support the program.)

According to Commander Jay Nadeau, coordinator for the program, the goal of these checkpoints is to help make sure children leave safer than they were when they arrived.

“Volusia County Fire Services has 66 firefighters who have completed the 32-hour certification course to work at these checkpoints – a record number for any county fire service department in the state,” said Nadeau. “The course has been incorporated into the training for new firefighters. In fact, during the check in Orange City, there will be 15 new firefighters who will be completing the technical portion of the course.”

For more information about the Child Safety Seat Checkpoint program or if a local church or community group would like to invite Volusia County Fire Services to participate in an upcoming event, please call 736-5940 (DeLand), 254-4657 (Daytona Beach), 423-3357 (New Smyrna Beach), and 574-0598 (Osteen). For people interested in the program, but not able to attend the event in Orange City, Fire Services offers the car seat safety check at any of the county fire stations, at any time (as long as they are not involved in a response.)

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