While we were there, they told us that lots of fire departments in the surrounding areas (including Wake Co.) are getting out of helping with car seat installations and at other places (e.g., Chapel Hill) they will slap the seat into the car for you but they don't teach the important stuff. But the folks at Carrboro are really eager and excited to help. For the Triangle area expecting parents who read this blog, here's some info for you in case you decide to get your car seats inspected there.
Telephone: 919-918-7347
Email: fire@ci.carrboro.nc.us
Location: Adjacent to Town Hall, 301 W. Main St., 27510
From http://www.carrborofire.org/carseats.htm:
The Carrboro Fire-Rescue Department is proud to be a permanent checking station for child passenger safety seats. This service is availble to the entire Carrboro community and all other surrounding communities. We strongly encourage everyone to come by to have their child safety seat inspected for safety and correct installtion.
Our Regular Hours of Operation: Saturdays, 9:30am to 11:30am. However, we are available on all other days to perform safety checks, schedule and time permitting. If you would like to have your car seat installation checked on a particular day and time, feel free to fill out our online appointment form to schedule a time, or you may call ahead to arrange a time. The number to call for an appointment is 919-918-7347.
About the Program
The first and most important goal of the program is to have every child who arrives at our station leave safer than when he or she came. Thus every child safety seat check we complete strives for the following:
- Ensure the child has an appropriate seat for their age, weight, size, and the vehicle they will be riding in.
- Educate the parents, guardians, and anyone who will be transporting the child regarding the best practices to follow when installing the seat in their car.
- Demonstrate the proper way to secure a child in the seat.
- Check for any manufacturer recalls, safety, or defect issues.
- Ensure compatibility between the car seat and the vehicle.
- Provide additional information on other agencies's child safety programs.
Installing a Child Safety Seat Is Not a Simple Task
Persons who go about the task of properly installing a car seat are often surprised to discover that the process is anything but straightforward. Our nationally certified technicians undergo 40 hours of training, and they must recertify every two years. At a miniumum, our firefighters must complete a 16 hour course before participating in a child safety seat check. Installing a car seat requires such extensive training because every car is different and every car seat is different. Thus, how one installs the same car seat in one vehicle may be quite different in another. Additionally, the type of seat appropriate for a child will change several times as the child grows and develops. All of these factors complicate the installation process, and thus a correct installtion is achieved only when great care is taken.
Even with all the best intentions on the part of parents and caregivers, statistics have shown that more than 90% of the car seats brought into checking stations are installed incorrectly. A correct installtion is of paramount importance because if a seat is not correctly installed, and the child is not correctly strapped into the seat, it will fail to provide the level of safety and protection it was designed to afford in the event of a wreck.
