The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety has awarded highway safety grants in the amount of $30,811 to the Chandler Fire Department (CFD) that will enable the CFD to continue its Child Safety Seat Clinics program through Sept. 30, 2019. Grant funds will be used to staff the clinics and provide 150 child safety seats to families who cannot afford to purchase this lifesaving equipment on their own.
The Chandler Fire Department offers car seat clinics most Saturdays from 9 a.m to noon at various locations in the community. Clinics are conducted by CFD personnel who have been certified as child passenger seat technicians through SafeKids International. The firefighters ensure each child is safeguarded in the appropriate seat for their age and weight, and they provide one-on-one instruction to caregivers on how to properly install and use their child’s car seat.
Motor vehicle injuries are a leading cause of death among children in the United States, due in large part to the nonuse or improper use of child seats and seat belts. The Chandler Fire Department and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety have partnered to safeguard Arizona’s most precious motor vehicle passengers for more than a decade. Since 2002, this partnership has enabled Chandler firefighters to protect the lives of more than 12,000 Arizona children by helping to ensure each child is properly secured when riding in a motor vehicle.
More information about Chandler Fire Department’s Child Safety Seat Program, including the most up-to-date clinic schedule, can be found at chandleraz.gov/fire or by calling 480-782-2046.