Clark Allred, Safe Kids Coordinator for Sweetwater County, answers questions about Safe Kids Wyoming, car seats, and upcoming car seat check up events.
- What is Safe Kids Wyoming, and what kinds of services does the organization offer?
Safe Kids Wyoming and its network of coalitions and partners are members of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations dedicated to preventing unintentional injuries to children. These efforts are achieved through programs such as car seat checkup events, where certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPST’s) instruct caregivers and parents on the proper installation of car seats as well as the functions of car seats and the dangers of loose or unrestrained items in a vehicle.  Safe Kids Wyoming also educates caregivers on the dangers of leaving kids in parked vehicles and other safety topics such as poisons, bicycle safety, water safety, and fire safety.
- What are some upcoming events offered by Safe Kids Wyoming?
Right now the only planned events are a couple car seat checkup events. One event will be June 24th at the WWCC parking lot, and another is planned for August in Green River at the Flaming Gorge Harley Davidson parking lot. As events come up they will be advertised through our local media sources.
- What are some commonly overlooked concerns when it comes to car seats, and how can mistakes be avoided?
Some common mistakes caregivers make are using the vehicle’s seat belt system incorrectly when installing a car seat and not harnessing the child properly in the car seat. The most common misuse we see is the parent or caregivers violating the Boost ‘till 9 law. We see many children not in boosters that are supposed to be, both by best practice AND by law. CPST’s are available at these organizations, Rock Springs, Green River, Fire District #1 to educate parents and caregivers and ensure they get the correct car seat for the car, the car seat that fits the child properly, and the car seat that they will use correctly every time. Parents and caregivers can find a wealth of useful information in the car seat’s manual as well as the vehicle owner’s manual, but it always helps to have a trained technician double-check an installed car seat. Parents and caregivers can also visit  a web site such as: www.nhtsa.gov , www.safercar.gov , or www.safekids.org to find information concerning child car seat safety. Wyoming Highway Patrol, Green River PD, and Rock Springs PD also have car seat technicians, although these agencies may be difficult to visit.
- How can the parents know they have the correct car seat for their child and it’s properly installed?
If the parents or caregivers have never purchased a child car seat before, I strongly suggest they stop by a fire station or visit one of the aforementioned web sites. The car seat technicians at the fire stations will be able to help the caregivers identify the right child car seat. The technicians can also inspect the caregiver’s vehicle and provide advice on car seat placement and other pertinent information pertaining to car seats usage before the caregiver purchases their car seat.
- If someone can’t make a car seat inspection event, how can they get an inspection?
Most fire stations in Rock Springs, Green River, and the Fire District #1, have technicians that can instruct a caregiver with anything they would have learned at a car seat checkup event. It is not always necessary to call a fire station to set up an appointment, however it doesn’t hurt.
