Car Seat Information
One of the leading causes of injury or death in children is vehicle accidents. Child safety seats can dramatically reduce the chances of your child being injured in an accident, but installing a child safety seat can be complicated.
Do you know the history of the car seat you want installed? Did you purchase it brand new or get it from a garage sale/thrift shop? The reason we ask about the car seat history is:
- If a car seat has been involved in even a very minor accident, it must be taken out of service and replaced.
- Did you check the expiration date on the seat? You may have purchased/received a car seat that has expired.
Looking for information on Which Car Seat Is Best For Your Child? Click the link to see.
At McCandless-Franklin Park Ambulance Authority, we have technicians trained in the inspection and installation of child safety seats. We can evaluate how your seat is installed and/or provide instructions and demonstrate the proper installation if necessary. We also inspect current seats for signs of damage and can determine if a recall has been issued, making the seat unsafe for use.
On the day of your appointment you will need to bring three things with you:
The car seat, with its base, if it is a separate item and the car seat user's manual.
- Some people think the base is all we need which is incorrect. We need the seat because there is information on the seat we need to record and we need to make sure that base and seat can be used together. We also check for recalls on both before installation.
- We need the car seat user’s manual to confirm the manufacturer’s installation process and placement among other reasons.
The child (if possible)
- We know this is not possible with expectant mothers or when the child is flying in. So if the child cannot be here for the installation, we need to know the child’s height and weight to make sure the seat is right for the child.
The vehicle and that vehicle's owner's manual the seat is being installed into.
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- Not all seats fit in all vehicles so we want to make sure the seat fits into the car appropriately.
- The vehicle’s owner’s manual is needed to confirm the manufacturer allows for the seat to be placed in the location you request. There are times that the vehicle manufacturer puts restrictions on the car seat installation, like the use of tethers used on forward facing seats.
We schedule car seat checks on the second Wednesday of the month, from 4pm to 6pm and we schedule car seat checks on the last Saturday of the month from 10am to 12 noon. We allot a half hour to do one car seat check so when you call please let us know how many seats you want checked/installed.
Appointments must be scheduled in advance. To schedule an appointment, please contact us at (412) 367-5883.
If you want more information about car seat safety you can click on this link to get to the Safe Kids Worldwide™ website.
