Firefighter handing out plastic helmets to children
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Child passenger safety

Buckled right, every ride.

Most car seats are installed incorrectly. Ours is a free, no-judgment check by a certified technician, and it takes about 30 minutes.

Free inspections

What a check covers

Our certified Child Passenger Safety Technician will go through your seat with you, not for you. You’ll leave knowing how to install it yourself the next time.

  • Installation. Correct seat position, tight LATCH or seat-belt install, proper recline angle.
  • Fit. Is the seat right for your child’s age, weight, and height? Harness height and chest clip position.
  • Expiration & recalls. Every seat has an expiration date. We’ll check it and look up open recalls.
  • Education. Parents, grandparents, babysitters. Anyone who drives your child is welcome to learn.
Free · 30 minFirefighter with a child at a community event
Stage by stage

The right seat for every age

Keep your child in each stage as long as the seat’s limits allow. Moving up early is the most common mistake we see.

0–2

Rear-facing

Infants and toddlers ride rear-facing until they reach the seat's rear-facing height or weight limit. Longer is safer.

2–4

Forward-facing harness

Once they outgrow rear-facing, a forward-facing seat with a five-point harness and top tether.

4–8

Booster seat

After the harness, a belt-positioning booster until the adult seat belt fits properly on its own.

8+

Seat belt

Lap belt low across the upper thighs, shoulder belt across the chest, and back seat until age 13.

Booster fit test

Ready to ditch the booster?

Kids typically need a booster from about age 4 to 8, 40 to 80 pounds, and 35 to 57 inches tall. Age alone isn’t the test. Fit is. Answer yes to all five before going without.

Five-step test

Does the seat belt fit?

  • Child sits all the way back against the vehicle seat
  • Knees bend comfortably at the edge of the seat
  • Lap belt sits low on the upper thighs, not the stomach
  • Shoulder belt crosses the middle of the chest and shoulder, not the neck
  • Child can stay seated like this for the whole trip
How it works

Four steps to a safer ride

Request a time

Use the request form or call the station. Inspections are by appointment so you get our technician's full attention.

Bring the essentials

The vehicle, the car seat, its manual if you have it, and the child who'll ride in it.

Learn hands-on

Our technician checks the install, then walks you through doing it yourself. Ask every question you've got.

Drive away confident

Correct seat, correct install, and you know how to do it again. About 30 minutes, start to finish.

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