Child Passenger Safety Technicians and Fitting Stations

In the mid 1990s, NHTSA began support of a national standardized child passenger safety curriculum that has created a nationwide network of specially trained personnel to educate parents and caregivers about correct practices in child passenger safety. The course, implemented in 1998, consists of 3-5 days of instruction and demonstrations, culminating in a community car seat check up event. Students demonstrate their mastery of the material with written test and skills demonstrations and then must recertify every two years. Since its introduction, the program has trained over 100,000 technicians, and about 42,000 are currently certified. This group includes first responders, law enforcement personnel, firefighters, parents, researchers, clinicians and social workers. These trained technicians can use their skills to staff permanent fitting stations and car seat check up events as well as serving as community educators. However, caregivers should not assume someone (such as a firefighter) is a certified technician even if they are willing to help when asked.

For more information see Safekids.org/CPS

9-27-21