MINOT – Keep the kids safe with Trinity Health’s free twice a month free car seat check.
Amber Emerson, Trinity Health Safe Kids and Injury Prevention coordinator, said anyone is welcome to come to the Minot Fire Station 1 to get a free car seat check twice a month.
“Four out of five car seats are installed incorrectly,” Emerson explained. “That’s why we do those checks, to keep those kiddos safe.”
Emerson said Safe Kids is a worldwide nonprofit organization. The Safe Kids in Minot collaborates with the fire department and First District Health Unit in Minot to do these checks. It also collaborates with Trinity Health, which is Safe Kids’ lead agency in Minot.
Parents, grandparents, and any guardian of children under eight years old are encouraged to call and make an appointment.
“We go over the safety things with their car seats, different things that can be done with their car seats, or if they’re a rear facing child, a forward safety child, if they’re ready for a booster,” said Emerson. “Even if they’re ready for a seatbelt, making sure that seat belt fits correctly.”
Emerson said that all the checks are free and done by a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, whose certification takes for days to complete.
“Under Trinity Health is who I work with financially,” Emerson clarified. “But the fire department has techs that are trained as well. First District Health Unit has techs as well.”
Emerson explained that motor vehicle crashes are the second cause of injury-related deaths in the hospital for every age group in Minot.
“Safe Kids does a lot of community education and things like that,” said Emerson. “Injury Prevention, we do things like Stop the Bleed, and different falls prevention programs, so definitely a great program.”
Emerson said that Safe Kids focuses on multiple unintended injury preventions, including fire safety, water safety, medication safety, and more.
Appointments for car seat checks can be made through Safe Kids Minot’s Facebook messenger, or by calling 701-857-7300.
