Luke fire emergency services keep kids safe with gift

  • Published
  • By Kim Bushong
  • 56th Civil Engineer Squadron
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  The 101 days of summer are in full swing and many Luke families are on the road driving to points all over the country.

That time spent on the road can be dangerous. Wearing seat belts can make a difference in the severity of injuries sustained from a vehicle accident.

Everyone is required by Arizona state law to wear a seat belt while riding in an automobile. The law also requires children up to age 5, regardless of their weight, to be strapped into a child safety seat while traveling in a vehicle.

For Airmen with children under age 5 that do not have a car seat, Luke fire emergency services has free car seats available for those who can't afford to purchase one. The program is open to all Luke members, both military and civilian, on an honor system. The FES asks that only those who can't afford a seat request one.

With national statistics that indicate 80 percent of all car seats are improperly installed, FES has developed a program to assist parents with the proper installation of a car seat. Luke members can stop by the Fire Prevention Office and a car seat technician will assist with the installation.

When a seat is installed, Luke members are given a short class on how the child, the car seat and the car all fit together. The technician installs the seat and then removes it, giving the parent or guardian a chance to practice what they have just observed. Luke members are welcome to return as many times as they like to ensure they are installing the car seat correctly.

Although the law states children must ride in a car seat until age 5, some children are still too small to be buckled with an adult seat belt. Height is an important factor. If they are not at least 4 feet 9 inches tall, the shoulder strap may cut across the throat area and the child may be tempted to place the strap under an arm or behind the body, which can result in severe injury in the event of an accident.

Because of this gap in the law, booster seats are available for children that are 5 years old but shorter than 4 feet 9 inches. Booster seats raise the child up and come with adapters that bring the shoulder strap down to the proper place.

For more information about free car seats or to find out how to properly install one, call (623) 856-3766 or go to the safe kids Web site at http://www.usa.safekids.org/index.cfm.