Child car safety seat fitting and inspection
In response to the number of deaths and injuries to young children involved in motor vehicle crashes, the Flagler/Volusia Child Passenger Safety Seat Program was formed as a partnership of Volusia County Fire Services, Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol and Flagler/Volusia Safe Kids Coalition. Knowing that through the proper use of child passenger safety seats those deaths can be greatly decreased – 71% to infants and 54% to toddlers - the partnership works to increase safety for children.
The Flagler/Volusia Child Passenger Safety Seat Program has issued over 1,400 safety seats to parents since its inception in 2000. This year the program offers discounted safety seats to the public while they last. Statistics indicate that 95% of child passenger safety seats are improperly installed, thereby greatly reducing their effectiveness. Members of the program work to educate the public by participating regularly in community events in Central Florida that help get the word out regarding child safety.
Volusia County Fire Services currently has 16 fire stations open on a 24 hour basis that are designated child safety seat fitting stations where a parent can get advice from a trained Child Safety Seat Technician, at their convenience. Signs outside of the buildings identify the stations as fitting stations. Fifty-six of our firefighters have made the commitment to become trained child safety seat technicians by completing 45 hours of training. When a parent or guardian arrives at a fitting station, the child passenger safety seat will be examined to be sure it is safe, not on a recall list and installed according to specifications. The Child Safety Seat Technician will take the time to show the parent or guardian how to properly install the seat and answer any safety-related questions.
Volusia County has one of the lowest automobile death rates for children within the state and has not experienced any deaths to children properly restrained in a child passenger safety seat since the inception of the program in 2000.
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Volusia County, Florida.
