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Tyndall values car seat safety

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Rachelle Elsea
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Tyndall Air Force Base and the Florida Highway Patrol teamed up to host a child car seat check Sept. 23.
 
The event was held in coordination with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Child Passenger Safety Week.

"The event provides all Tyndall personnel the opportunity to ensure the safety of their children while riding in motor vehicles," said Master Sgt. Scott Jessen, 325th Maintenance Operations Squadron distance learning noncommissioned officer in charge. "We do this by coordinating with local authorities who are certified to inspect child car seats. Together, we not only provide concerned parents accurate information about the correct installation and day-to-day use of child car safety seats, we also ensure each and every child is properly fitted in their car seat."

This is the second year Sergeant Jessen, and his wife, Tech. Sgt. Dawn Jessen, 325th Medical Group education and training NCOIC, have planned the event. In the future, they hope to make it an annual event and make more Team Tyndall members aware of the issue at hand.

"We started this event because we saw children that were not properly secured in car seats, whether they were either too loosely strapped in or not even in a car seat at all," said Master Sgt. Jessen. "After speaking with several parents, we discovered that most just did not know how to do it properly. Therefore, we felt that a good way to help protect the children would be to educate both parents and children on how important and easy it can be to properly restrain kids in car seats."

Several organizations donated money to the cause, including the Top Three, First Sergeants Association, Focus 56, the Commissary and the Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency. The funds allowed for the purchase of car seats, booster seats, coloring books, crayons, water and much more.

In addition to the items given away, attendees were also briefed on proper car seat safety.

"They were taught current laws governing the use of car seats and which type of car seat is appropriate for their child's current and future stage of development," said Master Sgt. Jessen. "But most importantly, they were shown how to properly fasten them into the seat."

During the three-hour event, 51 car seats were inspected and 12 car seats and 16 booster seats were issued to qualified attendees.

For more valuable information on car seat safety visit www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/CPS