Car seat safety event held at Cape Girardeau Fire Dept.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KFVS) - The Cape Girardeau Fire Department lent a helping hand to new parents.

Fire Station 1 held a car seat safety check on Saturday, September 23 as part of National Seat Check Saturday.

National Seat Check Saturday is the fourth Saturday in September every year. The day was started by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to press for child safety and increase awareness about seat check protocols in child safety seats.

One of the organizers told us the importance of events like this.

“There are people who don’t know that they need a child seat,” said Emily Church, safe communities coordinator. “They don’t know the dangers of not having a child restraint in the car. So were here to assist the community in the best way that we can.”

According to organizers, the Safe Communities Program, MoDOT’s Southeast Missouri Coalition and the Perry County Health Department’s goal was to have a car seat check event in each of CPS District’s 14 counties during the week and/or on September 23 with four central inspection stations to replace expired and damaged/ill-fitted seats and provide seats to families that are in need.

In addition to the Cape Girardeau Fire Department, the other sites included Farmington Fire Department, Poplar Bluff Fire Department and Dunklin County Health Department.

There is a child passenger safety class coming up in November for those interested in becoming a tech. The Cape Girardeau Fire Department Station 1 will host the event.

Child Passenger Safety Week was from September 17-23.

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