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Safe Kids Spokane holds free car seat check-up at Fairchild

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Sam Fogleman
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Safe Kids Spokane, in conjunction with Fairchild Security Forces, facilitated a free car seat check-up at the Fairchild Commissary parking lot May 30. The event occurs roughly once a year at the base. Members of the local law enforcement community, as well as volunteer parents from the area, were on hand to assist with making sure that car seats are adequate for their intended use.

"Car seats are checked to ensure they're installed correctly, they're the right car seat for your child, and if anything is wrong with the car seat," said Staff Sgt. Denine Deal, 92nd Security Forces Squadron. "If enough people are interested, particularly in a potential 4-day course, we could get this to happen more regularly at Fairchild."

According to the Spokane Police Department, over the last four years, 40 children (age eight and younger) were killed in collisions in Washington State and more than 200 were injured. A child car seat reduces the risk of injury by 70 percent for infants and more than 50 percent for toddlers.

"I have an 18-month old, and I want to make sure he's safe when he's in the car," said Tech. Sgt. Patrick Morgan, 141st Air Refueling Wing, a customer at the event.

Twenty-eight car seats were checked, with a misuse rate of 79 percent. Misuses included 17 installation errors, 11 harnessing errors, two children in incorrect seats, and five children whose seats were installed facing the wrong direction.

Safe Kids Spokane conducts similar events around the area throughout the year.
For more information on car seat safety, contact Safe Kids Spokane at 509-474-2851, or visit their Facebook page at Facebook.com/safekidspokane.