Another Britax testimonial

Judi

CPST/Firefighter

• Aug 12, 2009

• #1

http://www.peainthepodcast.com/blog/

 

S

*Spoiledinmyhouseofblue*

New member

• Aug 12, 2009

• #2

I saw this and was amazed!!!!

 

Judi

CPST/Firefighter

• Aug 12, 2009

• #3

A couple issues I have.

#1- Why take the kiddo OUT of the seat. See pic.

#2- What kind of SUV is that? Does it allow center latch?

 

S

*Spoiledinmyhouseofblue*

New member

• Aug 12, 2009

• #4

That is what I was wondering too.

 

Ducky5306

New member

• Aug 12, 2009

• #5

Judi said:

A couple issues I have.

#1- Why take the kiddo OUT of the seat. See pic.

#2- What kind of SUV is that? Does it allow center latch?

Click to expand...

1. From the looks of the SUV i'm not sure they'd be able to get the carseat out of the suv, the doors are really smashed up so maybe there was no way to get the whole seat out? (Can I ask why leave the child IN the seat? just asking honestly i have no idea either way)

2- The picture says its a "Late Model Ford Explorer"

 

Judi

CPST/Firefighter

• Aug 12, 2009

• #6

Thanks! I missed that. So, a lot of Ford allow latch borrowing, so cool. Good point about the possibility of not being able to get the seat out. When extricating, we tend to take a door totally off, but not always. By keeping them in their seat, they have a built in backboard.

 

Ducky5306

New member

• Aug 12, 2009

• #7

Judi said:

Thanks! I missed that. So, a lot of Ford allow latch borrowing, so cool. Good point about the possibility of not being able to get the seat out. When extricating, we tend to take a door totally off, but not always. By keeping them in their seat, they have a built in backboard.

Click to expand...

ah that makes sense thanks.. I know nothing about car accidents (Thankfully never been in one)

 

Judi

CPST/Firefighter

• Aug 12, 2009

• #8

I have been in 2, but have more experience with extrication. Love taking cars apart!

 

Jennifer mom to my 7

Well-known member

• Aug 12, 2009

• #9

I know my dh has said that when a crash is that bad/vehicle that smashed, there is usually a way to get the whole seat out of the car. Also, I wonder if maybe they took the kid out of the car in the seat, then assessed, then took her out of her restraint. Could be possible.

 

4boysmom

New member

• Aug 12, 2009

• #10

I DO LIKE that the parent is basically thanking/raving for car seats working and pointing out correct install and such and the Britax part is the background as a "if you must know baby was in xyz seat" but first and foremost was in A seat that had been installed and used presumably "correctly".

 

CTPDMom

Ambassador - CPS Technician

• Aug 12, 2009

• #11

I see this as a 'keep your kid harnessed and do it correctly' testimonial more than a Britax one...but in any case...it's a great story!

And some locales (like mine) allow paramedics to clear c-spine in the field. Sometimes part of standing protocol, sometimes with med control. If they were having difficulty getting the seat out they might have cleared c-spine in the field and then removed the child.

Alternately, it is possible the mother or a bystander removed the child before EMS or FD arrived. That happens all the time.

 

Mommy0608

New member

• Aug 12, 2009

• #12

Great story! It's nice to see the GOOD stories once in a while... seems we always hear about the sad endings. I'm impressed that they emphasized the need to have proper installations regardless of brand, rather than "BRITAX saved my child's life".

 

Mingie

CPST Instructor

• Aug 12, 2009

• #13

Wow I am glad they are both okay!

Her comment at the end of the blog is a little worrisome though. She makes it sound like having a car seat installed with latch is the be all, end all. And it should be pointed out that a seat belt install is equally as safe and in fact latch can't be used past a certain weight so isn't available for all parents.

 

Chex

New member

• Aug 13, 2009

• #14

Mingie said:

Wow I am glad they are both okay!

Her comment at the end of the blog is a little worrisome though. She makes it sound like having a car seat installed with latch is the be all, end all. And it should be pointed out that a seat belt install is equally as safe and in fact latch can't be used past a certain weight so isn't available for all parents.

Click to expand...

I actually took her comment to mean that if a car is going to have LATCH, it should most definitely be available in the center position since this is the safest position. Maybe I took it that way because I've had that same thought before. I've actually wondered many times why car companies can't just put LATCH and TAs in ALL seating positions. If they have the ability to do it in one spot, why not all spots? Why pick and choose?

 

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NicoleCPST

Senior Community Member

• Aug 13, 2009

• #15

Wow- that hit home. That was me and my daughter 10 months ago. Same vehicle, same carseat, same area (near Dallas), very similar wreck...It REALLY got to me to read that. The way she talks about remembering flashes or images, and realizing 20 miutes later, as she's still thinking it through, that her heart is racing, palms sweaty...ugh. I relived our accident for months. I still have days when I freak out in traffic- luckily it is mostly when my husband is driving.

And I totally agree about keeping kids in the carseat after a crash. I was big on carseat safety before our wreck, but nothing like I am now. It sounds crazy, even to me, but I knew all day that it was going to happen. I had never thought about the logistics of getting a child out of a carseat after a crash until a few hours before it happened. Simple, and clear as a bell, it occured to me that if we got in a wreck, I should leave her in her seat, and take the whole thing out of the car instead. And that is exactly what I did. I cried and begged the EMT's not to take her out of the carseat, even though they were putting her in a papoose because I was terrified of what might happen if they moved her. It still gets to me, alot, that I was too terrified to even pick up my own child for hours, until she was checked out at the ER. I just laid my head next the hers and held her hands and sang to her to try and keep both of us calm.

I'm rambling, but thanks for posting this story.

 

Judi

CPST/Firefighter

• Aug 13, 2009

• #16

We are going over extrication this month at the fire department. I am going to see if they will let me install a car seat or two in the back.

 

capeKO71

New member

• Aug 13, 2009

• #17

Don't they just cut all the straps and pull the seat out? That way there's no way for the thing to be used again anyhow... and it's faster then uninstalling the seat...

 

S

southpawboston

New member

• Aug 13, 2009

• #18

Judi said:

I have been in 2, but have more experience with extrication. Love taking cars apart!

Click to expand...

but do you put them back together??? that is the bigger challenge.

 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician

• Aug 13, 2009

• #19

If it's an Explorer, then the center LATCH isn't allowed to be borrowed. It's further than 20 inches apart, which is beyond both the Ford and the Britax maximums.
Doesn't matter though (there are some injury measurements that come out better or worse when the 'wrong distance' LATCH is used, the point is, it still holds kids in the car), I'm glad the kiddo is ok

I wonder if a car would have rolled as bad as an SUV did in this case?

 

fyrfightermomma

New member

• Aug 13, 2009

• #20

Great testimonial but unfortunately while car seats do great at protecting children, they are not magical bubbles where a kid is completely uninjured. I about peed my pants when I saw the first pic of the firefighter carrying the child. This is BASIC life support EMS training. It was a 70 mph rollover. Even if the patients have NO symptoms you do C spine precautions-neck collar and backboard etc. With children you leave them in the seats (and yes, the firefighters could have easily got her and the seat out. We can take the entire roof and doors off cars, it's not a hassle.

But even if they didn't for whatever reason, that child should have been immediately laid down, put in a collar, and put on a backboard. One of the first basics you learn about trauma is that you immediately stabilize their head or neck. The only way you wouldn't is if they flat out refuse (no child can refuse) or it is life threatening (car on fire. You just yank them out. But you THEN put them in C spine precautions). You never ever just carry a patient around like that after a crash like that, even with no injuries. It's called "mechanism of injury." That mechanism of injury was extremely high and I can't fathom taking any patient from that crash out and just letting them walk around or carry them.

They are very very lucky that child didn't have any serious injuries. Cause I can tell you right now, had that child been injured or had a neck injury they missed that picture would have haunted them in court.