One more question...

CatSanders

New member
I posted this last night as part of my longer post and I just wanted to get a quick answer for my SIL...Thanks!!

Lastly, we discussed how "fireman" or "cops" say that children should just ride a booster and dont mention extended harnessing. Do all firemen or cops go through car seat certification training? And what does it take to become a tech? I just want her to know that firemen or cops dont always know about car seats, KWIM?


Cathy
 
ADS

scatterbunny

New member
Not all cops or everyone at the fire station are certified child passenger safety technicians, no.

There are different levels of training. First, there's a 1-day/8 hour class that basically allows you to install seats under the direct supervision of a CPST. It's not the same as certification.

Second, there's the 5-day/40 hour class where you learn all kinds of stuff, have lots of hands-on activities with various seats and cars, and at the end take a written exam that you must pass to get certification, and the last day is a seat check event.

Unfortunately some people take the 1-day class and claim to be certified. Or, some people take the 5-day class but don't pass the test and still claim to be certified.

Some people really ARE certified but only got certification because their job required them to do so. This is often the case with fire stations and cops. Sometimes they aren't exactly motivated and passionate about CPS, so they pay attention to the minimum necessary to skate by and pass. :(
 

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
Someone could be a Practitioner or Assistant & still get to check seats under the supervision of a Technician ... I personally do not agree with this arrangment at all since I've caught local Practitioners/Assistants who have incorrectly installed carseats & given inaccurate advice: the senior Technician is often surprised, but, honestly, what do they expect when they're not actually working right along side the individual :confused: My advice is to just always ask to see the person's SafeKids certification card & remember to contact your state coordinator if you receive substandard service!
 

mominabigtruck

New member
My uncle is a retired highway patrolman that now teaches other cops how to give breathalizers and he told me that when they have the safety day things at walmart or wherever normally its a draw on who actually works it. Normally there is only one certified person there and everyone else just got their name drawn out of a pool and usually aren't overly thrilled to be there.
 

drey

New member
I posted this last night as part of my longer post and I just wanted to get a quick answer for my SIL...Thanks!!

Lastly, we discussed how "fireman" or "cops" say that children should just ride a booster and dont mention extended harnessing. Do all firemen or cops go through car seat certification training? And what does it take to become a tech? I just want her to know that firemen or cops dont always know about car seats, KWIM?


Cathy

I (now) KNOW that the fireman who installed my MA in the Xterra, could NOT have been a certified tech. The good thing he did was install it RF, for my 20lb 6-mo, because "you have to RF until 1 AND 20lbs". However, he installed it in the center position, using the outboard LATCH anchors. I redid the install as soon as I got home, because I'd READ my vehicle manual. :mad:
 

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