Plum EMS and police want to make sure a family’s precious cargo is safe and secure when traveling.
That’s why the borough’s first responders are hosting a car seat safety check from 3 to 6 p.m. Sept. 10 at the ambulance station at 1990 Old Mine Road.
“It’s for the safety of the child,” Plum EMS Operations Director Brian Maloney said. “I remember growing up as a kid we didn’t know what seat belts were. When you look at the safety perspective, children need to be properly secured in vehicles.”
About 15 certified car seat technicians, including officials from PA Team Educators for Child Safety, are expected to participate.
They will check the equipment and teach families how to properly install the seats. Seat checks are free and by appointment only. They take about 30 minutes.
Families can call the EMS station at 412-793-4801 to schedule a time.
Car crashes are the leading cause of death for children, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
A child 13 years old or younger was involved in a crash every 33 seconds in 2016, the NHTSA reports.
Maloney said his department has responded to countless car crashes, and children secured in a car seat sustained fewer injuries than those not in one.
Plum EMS offers car seat safety checks with its three technicians year-round by appointment at the station. It also hosts at least one big event with multiple technicians annually.
“The purpose of this is to help prevent injuries,” Maloney said. “It’s more than just us making sure the seats are good.”
Children from birth to 2 years old must be secured in a rear-facing car seat until the child outgrows the maximum weight and height limits designated by the car seat manufacturer, according to PennDOT’s child passenger safety regulations.
Children up to age 4 must be properly restrained in a child safety seat, and ages 4 to 8 must be in an appropriate booster seat.
Families participating in the safety check should bring all manuals for their vehicle and seat. Masks are required.
More information on child passenger safety is available at penndot.gov.
