Did you know that as many as 80% of all car seats are installed incorrectly?  Snohomish County Fire District 7 offers free Car Seat checks to residents in the fire district. Let our Car Seat Technicians check your child’s car seat and provide you with installation guidelines and tips. Car seat checks are by appointment only.  

Please plan accordingly- checks may take 30 to 45 minutes. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact our Public Educator.

For your car seat check appointment, please bring:

• The car seat manufacturer's instructions
• The car owner's manual
• If the child is available, please bring him/her
• For infant car seat installations:  a swimming pool foam "noodle," a medium-sized towel, or a light blanket
  
  During Appointment:
  
  Please bring with you the car seat manufacturer's information and car owner's manual, also the Swimming Pool "noodle", old bath towel, or light blanket if you have an infant seat that needs to be installed. If the child is available, please bring him/her as well. Patience! Some car seats are difficult to install and require a bit of time. (Also, our car seat technicians are on duty firefighters and will have to leave if they get an emergency call)
  
  Child Safety Seat Tips:
  
  The back seat is generally the safest place in a crash. Infants should ride in rear facing child safety seats until they are 1 year of age AND 20 pounds.”  Read your restraint manual for instructions and weight and height limits. Children over age 1 and 20 pounds may ride facing forward. The harness should be adjusted so you can slip only one finger underneath the straps at your child's chest. The clip goes at armpit level. Keep the child in a safety seat with a full harness as long as possible, at least until 40 pounds.
  
  A belt-positioning booster seat is recommended for child between 40 to 80 pounds. It is used with the adult lap and shoulder belt. These tips were taken from the National Highway and Safety Administration's "Transportation Safety Tips" and do not provide all the information/skills needed to install a child safety seat. Additional information can be found at NHTSA's web site at http://www.nhtsa.gov