January, 2022
P A G E 40
1st Responder Newspaper - NJ
Apparatus of the Month 5 Common Mistakes to Avoid While
Using Child Safety Seats
Continued fr o m Page 38 Campbell Supply Co., LLC has delivered a Spartan ER Star Series pumper to Blackwood FC in Gloucester Township District 4 (Camden County). Specs include a Gladiator LFD chassis with 10-inch raised roof cab, top-mount Hale Qmax 2000-GPM pump, 750-gallon water and 20-gallon foam tanks. They have received an order from the Franklin Township (Somerset County) Fire District 1 for a Spartan Metro Star pumper with MFD chas sis, 10-inch raised roof cab, Waterous 2000-GPM pump and 750-gallon water tank. Also on order is a Star Se
ries pumper for Belford Engine in Middletown Township (Monmouth County). Specs include a Gladiator chassis with 10-inch raised roof cab, Cummins F9, 450 hp diesel engine. Hale Qmax 1750-GPM pump, 750gallon water tank and a Harrison gen erator. VCI Emergency Vehicle Spe cialists has made two Horton ambu lance deliveries: the Finden FD (Union County) received a 457 on a Ford F-450 chassis and Galloway Township EMS (Atlantic County) re ceived a stock model on a Ford F-350 4x4 chassis.
Car seats are designed to save young lives. Unfortunately, al though m ost parents think they are installing the seats correctly, the National H ighw ay Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 46% o f car and b ooster seats are misused! The con sequ en ces can be deadly, given that m otor vehicle a c c i dents are the number-one killer of kids in this country. The Centers for D isease C on trol and Prevention (CDC) esti mates that car seat use reduces the risk for injury in a crash by 71% to 82% for children. B ooster seat use reduces the risk for seri ous injury by 45% for children ages 4 to 8 com pared with seat belt use alone.
Avoid These Five Common Mistakes B efore you begin any car or b ooster seat installation, thor oughly read through the u ser’ s manual. Familiarize yourself with all o f the parts o f your seat and keep the NHTSA tips for installa tion handy in case you need a re fresher.
Mistake #1: Seat Too Loose
JUSTIN MATTES
Parade Grand Marshall is being driven on West Cape May's 1921 Model T Pumper.
West Cape May Christmas Parade Returns W EST C A P E MAY, NJ After a year off due to COVID-19, the annual West Cape May Christ mas Parade kicked off the holiday season again in southern New Jer sey on D ecem ber 4th. P eople filled the sidewalks in anticipation o f the return o f a 55-year tradi tion. Parade observer Finda Vanderslixew Adment was excited to watch it with her grandchildren, saying, “What a great w eekend in C ape May! The parade was just amazing, our grandkids had twin kles in their ey es!Thank you to all
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that w ork so hard to put on such an extravaganza!” Marching bands from all over southern N ew Jersey, and floats from businesses around Cape May County assem bled by the West C ape May Firehouse and p ro ceeded south down Broadway into Cape May City before ending on Carpenter Fane.
Mistake #2: Harness Too Loose -Test it: O n ce the child is in
3 the car seat, pinch the harness at the shoulder with the chest clip correctly in place. If y ou ’ re unable to pinch any ex cess webbing, it’ s tight enough. -The danger: A child can easily slip out o f a loose harness or even be ejected from the vehicle, suffer ing severe injuries. -Fast fix: Always use the chest clip, and position it level with the armpit. Make sure the harness passes through the proper slots and is tightly buckled. There should be no slack.
Mistake #3: Infant Turned Face Forward Too Soon -Test it: A ccordin g to the American A cadem y o f Pediatrics, all children should remain rear facin g at least until they turn 2 years old or have reached the max imum height or weight capacity of the infant car seat. Inspections show that 30% o f infants are turned around too soon. -The danger: An infant’ s bones and spinal cord are still forming. When a child is rear-facing, the most substantial part o f her body the back - can better absorb the im m ense forces o f a crash. An in fant’ s relatively heavy head can catapult when facing forward, put ting pressure on the undeveloped spine and risking paralysis or death. -Fast fix: Read the seat label and fo llow age and height/weight limits.
Mistake #4: Rear-Facing In fant Seat Not at a 45-Degree Angle
are installed in a position that’ s too upright. -The danger: An infant’ s air way is as narrow as the diameter o f a soda straw. If a rear-facing seat leans too far forward, the baby’ s head can fall forward, cut ting off her airway. -Fast fix: If your safety seat is not equipped with an adjustable pedestal to ensure the correct angle, tightly rolled-up towels or a section o f a sw im m ing pool n o o dle can be placed under the area where a baby’ s feet rest.
Mistake #5: Not Knowing the Age Stages -Test it: Any child between 40 and 80 pounds and up to 4’ 9”tall (generally kids from 4 to 8 years old) needs a booster seat. And chil dren under 13 should never sit in the front seat. -The danger: An adult seat belt d o e sn ’ t correctly restrain a child because it crosses the body at the w ron g position: too high on the belly and across the shoulder. Plus, children often m ove the shoulder belt behind them because it’ s un comfortable. A child still too small for a seat belt can sustain internal, head, or spinal injuries during a crash. -Fast fix: M ove older children to a booster seat when they reach the height or weight limit allow ed by the car seat manufacturer. H ere’ s a handy guide for ch oosing the right seat. If you have ANY doubt about the proper selection or installation o f your child or booster seat, find a child passenger safety technician or checkup station near you. A ch ild ’ s life is at stake!
- BAGOLIE FRIEDMAN INJURY LAWYERS
-Test it: Many infant car seats have a built-in level that tells you when your seat is at the w rong angle. M ore often than not, seats
- JUSTIN MATTES
valteK n c CACKIE SCOTT
BODY REPAIR &. PAINTING
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-Test it: Grab the car seat where the safety belt passes through the base. It’ s too loose if you can m ove it m ore than one inch to the left, right, or forward. -The danger: In a collision, a child in a loose seat cou ld crash into the front seat and suffer se vere head and face injuries. -Fast fix: Add your weight and tighten the seat belt as much as possible. For forward-facing seats, also use the top tether to help lock the seat in place.
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(973) 278 - 1444 (FAX) 278 - 8332
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