CHILD SAFETY
The Gray Fire Department is working with both city and Jones County agencies to make sure local children are safe when riding in motor vehicles.
GFD Capt. Heather Johnson talked about the program that targets accident victims as well as low-income families in an April 19 interview.
Fire Chief Keith Eisele announced the department’s receipt of a grant from the Morris Bank Foundation in the amount of $11,000 for the car seat program at the City of Gray’s March 20 meeting of all committees.
He said the program included training for car seat technicians and free car seats to those in accidents or needing a car seat.
Eisele said that is in addition to free smoke detectors.
Johnson said she is working with the Safe Kids organization, the certifying agency for car-seat technicians.
She said the goal is to have two certified car-seat technicians each from GFD, the Gray Police Department, Jones County Fire Department and Jones County Fire Rescue.
“I have spoken to each agency, and they are all good to get tech certified,” she said.
Johnson said most people do not know that when a car seat is involved in an accident, it is no longer certified.
“Technically, you’re not supposed to leave with that same car seat that was in the crash,” she said.
The captain said a replacement car seat is supposed to be covered by insurance, but that is not always the case.
She hopes to have enough car seats and certified technicians to be able to deliver a new car seat to the accident scene.
That’s the reason for the eight certified techs for Gray and Jones County.
She said the department will be getting two kinds of car seats, including booster seats and the all-in-one seats, in a partnership with Evenflo.
Johnson said the plan is to have the certification classes in Gray in June. She has been certified for four years and is working toward her training certification. The class to become a car seat technician is four-day, eight-hours-per-day class that ends with a car seat check event for the community.
The captain said after the certification, the department will be able to continue receiving car seats through the Department of Public Health. She said the Jones County Health Department also has car seats, but they are only available during the day to low-income families after they have taken a class.
She said in addition to helping when a child is involved in an accident, she hopes to be able to have car-seat checks at events such as the JCSO Touch a Truck. She also said there will be a form on the GFD website to sign up for car-seat checks.
Johnson said in Georgia, car seats are required until a child turns 8 or is 4’9” tall.
She said the number one issue parents have is trying to turn the child around to face forward too soon. She said that should not happen until the child is 2.
“If you watch the videos shown in the certification classes, you would never want them to face forward,” she stated. “It’s been proven time after time that car seats work, if they are used correctly.”
Johnson said she is ready to place the first order for the car seats. When they arrive, she will set a date for the training. She said right now she is looking at June for the training, and after that is completed, the county will have access to car seats countywide when there is an accident involving a child.
The captain said JCSO already has one certified person.
“I hope if we have eight people certified, someone will always be available to help,” she said.
