And they call themselves techs

cdncasper

New member
I went with the girls to a local firehall to get the new Radians "checked" or in other words if they would catch something. There were only things that bothered me and 2 were really important:
--they asked for the girls to come out of the seats to check them carseats first--they should have checked how the girls were in the seats before taking them out
--they said there was no recall--but they didn't even check recall sheets or anything. I have an older safestop on one Radian so they should have caught that and they didn't.
--after going 1 block away I stopped to check the one that they really fiddled with and it was 1/2 inch loose and when I went in it was rock solid. So they loosened my seat.

I am going to talk to my friend and fellow tech at MPI Road Safety to see about what she might be able to do about this.
Next week: Test a few more firehalls inculding one that is notorious (sp?) for bad info. I will keep you posted.
 
ADS

Victorious4

Senior Community Member
Good for you for testing them + boo on them for messing up

Oh, you sneak! You're like a secret shopper :cool:
 

CRS

Senior Community Member
You're going to report them? :confused: I definitely see that there are a few improvements they can make in their routine/procedures but did you leave with a correctly installed car seat? Yes? 1/2 an inch is perfectly acceptable, even though you should theoretically be leaving in better "condition" then when you came in, 1/2 an inch is just fine:twocents:. They SHOULD have checked the recall sheet :doh:, that is a given (naughty!). And yes, they should have checked the girls in the seats BEFORE they got out, but Techs are humans too and as a human and a tech, I would find it upsetting that someone has come in just so they can pick at my technique and then go and complain about me? By all means, definitely talk to someone, constructive criticism is great so they can smooth out their procedure, it's just I see some people in here all too ready to pick on techs and I don't really think it's all too fair :twocents: :duck:Hope I don't offend.. I just see it all too often around here :(
 

cdncasper

New member
No I am not going to report them but I am going to see what can be done about making sure they check for recalls. That is a very important thing to check for so I seriously think they should have. As a tech myself I am perfectly ok with people telling me I may have done something wrong--I was helping people out at baby days at Sears and one of the employees noticed I had said a seat was a convertible instead of a 3 in 1 which it was and I was perfectly ok with them letting me know. I just want to make sure that they give out the bes info possible. I had another tech tell me that over 1 yrs old they should be FF so we actually discussed it and this was before I was a tech.
One of the other firehalls in the city gives out bad info all the time so I want to see what they will tell me. We unfourtently (sp?) have alot of firefighters who are techs that didn't want to be so yes they can check seats but since they really don't want to they don't really know all the safest stuff or even the legal requirements sometimes.
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
I very rarely check the recall sheet b/c I know what seats have been recalled and which ones haven't. If in doubt I look, but I do mostly new infant seats though. What does it matter if you have an old Safestop vs a new one? I haven't heard anything on that.
 

CDNTech

Senior Community Member
I very rarely check the recall sheet b/c I know what seats have been recalled and which ones haven't. If in doubt I look, but I do mostly new infant seats though. What does it matter if you have an old Safestop vs a new one? I haven't heard anything on that.

It's a Canadian recall, not an american one. They found that with a 3 yr old dummy (and only the 3 yr old dummy), the Safestop allowed head excursion to go just outside limits (we're talking mm's here)... so they issued a recall stating you could continue using the old one until the new one arrived, that no incidents had been reported and that it was just a precautionary thing. They also only did this for Canada (as I stated earlier).

Just for the record... I'm in agreement with CRS here. I don't like it when people go looking for bad techs... if you happen to come across one, then by all means, definitely report them. I just don't like the idea of being sooo sneaky that you are purposely going looking for nit picky things.

I also do not need to check a recall sheet unless it's a seat I'm not familiar with. I keep up with the recalls and am familiar with the majority of Canadian child restraints on the market for the last 8 years.

There is also the issue with how instructors are trained and how they in turn are training their students and whether the appropriate info is even being given in class. Not all classes are taught the same way or even by instructors with adequate knowledge. All of this will affect what the tech you see knows/doesn't know.
 

jen_nah

CPST Instructor
I very rarely check the recall sheet b/c I know what seats have been recalled and which ones haven't. If in doubt I look, but I do mostly new infant seats though. What does it matter if you have an old Safestop vs a new one? I haven't heard anything on that.

I am the same way. I guess for me since I do seatchecks daily as part of my job I know which seats haven't been recalled & which have. Of course if I am uncertain I always check. But, Like you I mostly see new infant carriers & Britax seats.

I agree what does it matter about new vs old Safe Stop as long as you are using it within manufacture guidelines (which I assume you being a tech you would be).
 

CDNTech

Senior Community Member
I agree what does it matter about new vs old Safe Stop as long as you are using it within manufacture guidelines (which I assume you being a tech you would be).

There was a recall on it for Canada... see my above post. ;)
 

jen_nah

CPST Instructor
It's a Canadian recall, not an american one. They found that with a 3 yr old dummy (and only the 3 yr old dummy), the Safestop allowed head excursion to go just outside limits (we're talking mm's here)... so they issued a recall stating you could continue using the old one until the new one arrived, that no incidents had been reported and that it was just a precautionary thing. They also only did this for Canada (as I stated earlier).

Okay that is why I wasn't aware of the issue.

Just for the record... I'm in agreement with CRS here. I don't like it when people go looking for bad techs... if you happen to come across one, then by all means, definitely report them. I just don't like the idea of being sooo sneaky that you are purposely going looking for nit picky things.

I also do not need to check a recall sheet unless it's a seat I'm not familiar with. I keep up with the recalls and am familiar with the majority of Canadian child restraints on the market for the last 8 years.

There is also the issue with how instructors are trained and how they in turn are training their students and whether the appropriate info is even being given in class. Not all classes are taught the same way or even by instructors with adequate knowledge. All of this will affect what the tech you see knows/doesn't know.

I agree 100%.

This tech may have just forgotten to check you child in the seat before removing them. Honest mistake and really not that big of issue esp if they educate on proper harness/chest clip placement & tightness before you leave. Who knows the tech might have actually seen your child and mental noted anything they need to document without telling you or they didn't see any misuse so didn't say anything. Again, If they are properly educating on harness/chest clip placement & tightness they have done what they need to correct the misuse & to educate the parents.

No I am not going to report them but I am going to see what can be done about making sure they check for recalls. That is a very important thing to check for so I seriously think they should have. As a tech myself I am perfectly ok with people telling me I may have done something wrong--I was helping people out at baby days at Sears and one of the employees noticed I had said a seat was a convertible instead of a 3 in 1 which it was and I was perfectly ok with them letting me know. I just want to make sure that they give out the bes info possible. I had another tech tell me that over 1 yrs old they should be FF so we actually discussed it and this was before I was a tech.
One of the other firehalls in the city gives out bad info all the time so I want to see what they will tell me. We unfourtently (sp?) have alot of firefighters who are techs that didn't want to be so yes they can check seats but since they really don't want to they don't really know all the safest stuff or even the legal requirements sometimes.

While it is best practice to keep 1yr olds rearfacing it's actually not going against manufacture guidelines or against the law to turn a 1yr forward facing. Also that tech may not have been taught best practice on ERF'ing. While we as techs should try to stay up to date on new research it is possible they are not aware of services like this site.

Also for ex: the new CPS curriculum doesn't have anything about extended rear facing in it. Not that the older did either. But, the older version has a lot of best practice but all that has been removed from the new curriculum. Now we have to find a place to work that in and SK really doesn't want us adding or removing anything from the new curriculum. So, It will be hard to teach a lot of the best practice (erf, ehh, etc...) to these new techs.
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
Now we have to find a place to work that in and SK really doesn't want us adding or removing anything from the new curriculum. So, It will be hard to teach a lot of the best practice (erf, ehh, etc...) to these new techs.

:eek:
 

tarynsmum

Senior Community Member
Also for ex: the new CPS curriculum doesn't have anything about extended rear facing in it. Not that the older did either. But, the older version has a lot of best practice but all that has been removed from the new curriculum. Now we have to find a place to work that in and SK really doesn't want us adding or removing anything from the new curriculum. So, It will be hard to teach a lot of the best practice (erf, ehh, etc...) to these new techs.

That is truly, really, really terrible.
 

CRS

Senior Community Member
SK really doesn't want us adding or removing anything from the new curriculum. So, It will be hard to teach a lot of the best practice (erf, ehh, etc...) to these new techs.

Eh? Not that I'm disagreeing with what you're saying or anything.. but I don't get what you're saying? There was A LOT of emphasis on ERF and HWH when I did my course?

ETA: the instructors DRUMMED ERF and a bit of HWH in to us... maybe it was just my instructors... also mentions RF to the limits of the seat etc on pg126 & 130 of the technician manual but saying that 1 yr 20lbs is the bear minimum etc. I do wish though, that it [rear-facing] would have been discussed more thoroughly though.
 

cdncasper

New member
I also do not need to check a recall sheet unless it's a seat I'm not familiar with. I keep up with the recalls and am familiar with the majority of Canadian child restraints on the market for the last 8 years.

There were 3 firefighters looking at the seats and none of them had ever heard about or seen a Radian before so chances are they don't read about recalls/safety issues like we do to know about the safestop issue.

I have heard lots of horror stories about techs at firehalls so I am just checking those ones out to see if they are true. One friend of mine was kicked out with the carseat out of the vehicle in -30 weather with an infant because they had an alarm. They told her to get out and they didn't care how even though she had no carseat. This is why I try to do as many inspections as possible since I and they don't have to worry about an alarm.
 

jen_nah

CPST Instructor
Eh? Not that I'm disagreeing with what you're saying or anything.. but I don't get what you're saying? There was A LOT of emphasis on ERF and HWH when I did my course?

ETA: the instructors DRUMMED ERF and a bit of HWH in to us... maybe it was just my instructors... also mentions RF to the limits of the seat etc on pg126 & 130 of the technician manual but saying that 1 yr 20lbs is the bear minimum etc. I do wish though, that it [rear-facing] would have been discussed more thoroughly though.

But, Was this the new curriculum?

Please don't get me wrong all of our instructors will pound ERF'ing but SK has stated they don't really want instuctors (I am an CPSI canidate) to devate from the manual. For us we rather get a slap on the hand but send our techs out with all the best practice info. Just the sucky thing is they have removed a lot of the best practice information from the new manuals.
 

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
Well I typed a nice long post about best way to do a car seat check (as learned over many years of watching some of the best people in the business) only to have my computer go nutso before I could post it. Short version though, Why did you leave the check with a seat the TECH installed with 1/2 inch movement. The amount of movement was fine, but YOU should have been the last person to install the seat before you left. That is the issue that needs to be addressed with the tech you saw.

Kimberly

Kimberly
 

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
Well I typed a nice long post about best way to do a car seat check (as learned over many years of watching some of the best people in the business) only to have my computer go nutso before I could post it. Short version though, Why did you leave the check with a seat the TECH installed with 1/2 inch movement. The amount of movement was fine, but YOU should have been the last person to install the seat before you left. That is the issue that needs to be addressed with the tech you saw.

Kimberly

Just reread my post and I don't want you to think that I mean you shouldn't have left the check with the seat installed by the tech. I meant that the tech should not be running an installation service, but should be teaching parents how to do it themselves.

Kimberly
 

cdncasper

New member
They didn't even uninstall it but just undo the seatbelt to move the carseat over to see the info no the side and than redo the seatbelt.
I teach the parents/caregivers how to install and any tricks to use to help. 9/10 times the parents are the last ones to install it with the exception of the little girl who was screaming and the parents said they would re-install it themselves that night to make sure they could do it. Everytime I have had my seats installed--before I was a tech--they always got me to re-do the seat cause they couldn't put it in as tight as I could. If I can move my seats at all than to ME it isn't acceptable. When I am doing checks than I try for 1/2 inch or less of movement and I show the parents my tricks.
 

CRS

Senior Community Member
They didn't even uninstall it but just undo the seatbelt to move the carseat over to see the info no the side and than redo the seatbelt.
I teach the parents/caregivers how to install and any tricks to use to help. 9/10 times the parents are the last ones to install it with the exception of the little girl who was screaming and the parents said they would re-install it themselves that night to make sure they could do it. Everytime I have had my seats installed--before I was a tech--they always got me to re-do the seat cause they couldn't put it in as tight as I could. If I can move my seats at all than to ME it isn't acceptable. When I am doing checks than I try for 1/2 inch or less of movement and I show the parents my tricks.

Was it not something you could have/should have approached at the time?
 

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