Become a Tech in Ottawa!

[tcottawa]

Interested in Child Safety?
Would you like to help ensure that children are riding safely? Become a…
Nationally Certified Children’s Restraint Systems Technician!
Cost: $50.00 per person.
When: Feb 28th and Mar 1st, 2009
Where: East end of Ottawa
Contact info: seats_coalition@hotmail.com
www.seatsforkidscanada.com

[sparkyd]

Thanks for this. I've decided that I do want to become a tech; just a question of when. I was hoping you could help me with a couple of questions:

1 - How often do they hold certificiation courses in Ottawa?
2 - Are they always in the east, or do they move around? (I'm south west)
3 - Would it be difficult to take the course or do the practice installations you need to do to become certified if you are 21 weeks pregnant when you take the course? :o

Thanks!

[Allport]

Hi - I'm one of the instructors for this course. Normally we hold them in the east end only because we get a free building which keeps the cost down. It's sort of east end - Sheffield Road which is Walkley and the 417 - so not as far as Orleans! We try to give a minimum of 4-6 courses per year as all of the instructors need to teach twice a year to keep our certification and the instructor-trainers need to monitor others and teach! The pregnancy depends on you - we've had women more than that take the course and hold off on the practical until after the birth. Some do both - depends on how you feel more than anything else. We allow for 6 months after the theory part of the course to do the practical part of the course. We do have a clinic monthly and twice monthly during the summer, so there's lots of opportunity!

Hope you decide to take the course - it's fun!!

[QuassEE]

From my experience doing checks while pregnant--I would say that 21 weeks is really quite ideal. I had a hard time doing checks when I was 4-16 weeks pregnant because all of the moving around made me feel ill, and I would be exhausted after only a few. Once you hit the last trimester, it can become difficult to move around in some smaller vehicles but fortunately a lot of the vehicles at checks here are minivans and SUVs.

A lot of techs don't "make" women do installs for their prenatal visit...but honestly, the reality is that unless it's their first baby, they'll be installing seats at any stage in the game. I still encourage pregnant women to do the final install at any check, unless there's some health risk involved. {Ya, ya, meanie..}

As with any activity during pregnancy, as long as you're healthy and you don't push yourself too hard then it's probably fine. You'll just have to see how you're feeling and know your limitations.

-Nicole.

[sparkyd]

Thank you both for the info. I think I'll give it a go! I guess I just email Seats For Kids to say I'm interested?

[Allport]

yup - just email the link up above - Deanna will take care of you!

[HONEYhas3]

Is there going to be any courses in the T.O area in the new year?? I would LOVE to take the course.

[canmom]

No fair!! I just paid over double that price! Oh well.... LOL

[QuassEE]

HONEYhas3--We're hoping for Mississauga in February, but nothing has been finalized quite yet... I'm at the mercy of the other people involved, so all I can do right now is cross my fingers....

canmom--The course is $500 here in BC, so ...well, don't feel bad? :)

-Nicole.

[hipmaman]

HONEYhas3--We're hoping for Mississauga in February, but nothing has been finalized quite yet... I'm at the mercy of the other people involved, so all I can do right now is cross my fingers.....

I'm keeping the pressure up here :)

HONEYhas3, you should check with St. John Ambulance in Mississauga. Hopefully, we can line things up for Feb with some members here to instruct, but even if we can't line up our dates, SJA Mississauga offered CRS courses often enough that you can work something out.

[Kashi]

If there is a training session in T.O. (or, even better, in the GTA) I'd be very interested.

I spent the better part of 2 years communicating with SJA locally about training sessions and getting nowhere with them.

[QuassEE]

SJA Mississauga is the best Toronto-area resource for the course, from what I'm aware of...Tam works with them directly. Heck, I had to look up how to spell Mississauga :)

-Nicole.

[hipmaman]

If there is a training session in T.O. (or, even better, in the GTA) I'd be very interested.

I spent the better part of 2 years communicating with SJA locally about training sessions and getting nowhere with them.

Not all SJA locations/branches have resource or the CRS team, so it might be why it has gotten nowhere for you. W/in the GTA, I know Mississauga is very active and offers courses either on our own premise often or sending out instructors to other locations as well.

Nicole, I have to stop all the times to count the number of 's' in Mississauga :)

[Kashi]

Not all SJA locations/branches have resource or the CRS team, so it might be why it has gotten nowhere for you. W/in the GTA, I know Mississauga is very active and offers courses either on our own premise often or sending out instructors to other locations as well.

Nicole, I have to stop all the times to count the number of 's' in Mississauga :)

I get that. And a simple "we don't do that" would have let it alone.
But it was such a flip flop on whether they did or didn't, and when they decided they DID do the training, I got about 3 days notice on a training session, which I signed up for (I'd already gotten my police clearance), only to be told that I couldn't go because I was 'too' pregnant.

[HONEYhas3]

Police clearence?? Does ever one need one?? (no im not a criminal, just would like to get started on getting one, if i need it) ;)

[hipmaman]

I get that. And a simple "we don't do that" would have let it alone.
But it was such a flip flop on whether they did or didn't, and when they decided they DID do the training, I got about 3 days notice on a training session, which I signed up for (I'd already gotten my police clearance), only to be told that I couldn't go because I was 'too' pregnant.

Ah, is this with the Mississauga branch? I need feedback so I can make sure we can provide the service.

Police clearence?? Does ever one need one?? (no im not a criminal, just would like to get started on getting one, if i need it) ;)

It might be provincially mandated or municipal level but anyone that has anything to do with children need to have a police check (and I think, Reliability Check for school board volunteers too). I'm in Oakville (Halton region) in Ontario and we have police check when volunteering with SJA.

[Kashi]

Ah, is this with the Mississauga branch? I need feedback so I can make sure we can provide the service.

No, not Mississagua - Durham Region.

[Allport]

To be a volunteer with the SJA a police check has to be done. In Ottawa, it's usually done after the course to ensure that the person passes and it can take a fair bit of time to get it processed! Also, if you join a coalition that has insurance like the one here in Ottawa, it's a requirement for the insurance coverage.

[Unregistered]

Hi,
I'm also interested in the car seat tech course...but I have a couple of questions. I'm a weakling LOL - how much of the tech's job is to do the install and how much is it to supervise the install? My experience is that I'm not strong enough to install the seat...
Also, once one is certified, is this something that one helps with on a purely volunteer basis? Or are there opportunities to earn a bit here and there with this? I'd consider it either way, assuming I'm strong enough...but I am curious to know.
Thanks!

[hipmaman]

Hi,
I'm also interested in the car seat tech course...but I have a couple of questions. I'm a weakling LOL - how much of the tech's job is to do the install and how much is it to supervise the install? My experience is that I'm not strong enough to install the seat...
Also, once one is certified, is this something that one helps with on a purely volunteer basis? Or are there opportunities to earn a bit here and there with this? I'd consider it either way, assuming I'm strong enough...but I am curious to know.
Thanks!

Hi,

As much hands-on experience as possible for new techs. Having said that, we always work as teams of 2-3 techs, depending on the level of experience and how many techs available on a given day.

Usually, if you are not strong and the other teammate(s) is then you might be the one that actually kneel/sit in the carseat so the other than flex the muscle and tighten the seat. With my branch, you don't supervise or sign-off installation unless you are a senior tech. Again, there are different way to contribute to the team and different organisations have different requirements for its members.

Mostly we do it on a volunteering basis (community service). The biggest deterence, imo, is the liability insurance that one has to take out, to do private checks. When you volunteer, you are covered by the organisation that holding the clinic or the organisation that send you to the clinic. When you do it privately, you are on your own and should have some sort of liability insurance to cover yourself in case you get sued.

[tiggercat]

Hi,
I'm also interested in the car seat tech course...but I have a couple of questions. I'm a weakling LOL - how much of the tech's job is to do the install and how much is it to supervise the install? My experience is that I'm not strong enough to install the seat...
Also, once one is certified, is this something that one helps with on a purely volunteer basis? Or are there opportunities to earn a bit here and there with this? I'd consider it either way, assuming I'm strong enough...but I am curious to know.
Thanks!

I've found that it isn't as much about brute strength, but more about learning the angles and setting up your install well. And using your weight wisely. At the last clinic, I helped out a team of 2 big burly men and one lady who were having trouble with a seat (and they were putting all of their weight/strength into it), and was able to install it rock solid myself simply by focusing on where the slack was hiding in the belt and finding a strategy to remove it. I'm not a particularly strong person myself, especially in the upper body, I actually have pinched nerve issues in my wrist and elbow, but I'm perfectly able to install seats.