Sierra Vista Fire & Medical Services, in partnership with the Arizona Department of Public Safety and Target, will host a Child Passenger Safety Seat Check event on Saturday, July 15, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the east end of the Target parking lot in Sierra Vista.
This free event provides residents the opportunity to ensure their child car seats are the correct model for their children, are installed correctly, are not subject to a recall, and meet current standards. No appointment is needed, this event is first come, first served.
“Nearly half of all car seats for children are used or installed incorrectly and we’re here to help parents do better,” says SVF&MS Captain and Paramedic Michael Quarto, the department’s child car seat safety program coordinator.
Child safety seats have been shown to reduce fatal injury by 71 percent for infants (under 1 year old) and 54 percent for toddlers (1 to 4 years old) in passenger cars. To be effective, the seats must be installed and used correctly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention.
This event is made possible through a grant from the Tucson Medical Center Foundation, which is part of the Children’s Miracle Network.
SVF&MS also offers free child passenger seats and seat checks, pending completion of a hands-on class. Appointments must be made in advance by calling Fire Station 3 at (520) 417-4400 or using the online form available at www.SierraVistaAZ.gov (search for “fire department requests”) so a technician can be scheduled. SVF&MS has checked more than 1750 child car safety seats in the last 17 years.
