Sheriff ’s Office car seat program ensuring kids stay safe when buckled up i n back.
A pair of Polk County Sheriff’s deputies are working hard to make sure children stay safe in their spots strapped into the back, even if parents can’t afford to purchase a new car seat on their own.
How can the department afford to furnish newer, safer seats for low income families?
It all starts with a worldwide program called Safe Kids.
The state organiza- tion Safe Kids Georgia – which governs the 159 counties in Georgia – helps local agencies like the Polk County Sheriff’s Office train officers in proper car seat installation and inspection. The organization also funds the purchase of new seats.
This is where deputies Rachel Haddix and Dana McBurnett come in. The pair are the only two currently trained to work with Safe Kids and take up monthly inspections in parking lots like Walmart.
“What we do is organize and run different safety events in our county for children and their caregivers,” Haddix said. “At first, our main focus was Child Passenger Safety.”
With good reason. The Centers for Disease Control reported that between the beginning of 2010 and the end of 2011, some 9,000 children died in car wrecks.
Haddix said the county received a grant through the Georgia Department of Public Health to provide car seats to those who have none or have seats that need replacing because of various scrapes, cracks and dings that might prove problematic in case of a crash.
The program also holds monthly car seat education classes for low income families, who then receive a free car seat, Haddix said. Referrals for the class come through the health department, she said.
“I always suggest they call first to make sure I am available that day or to make an appointment,” she said. “If their car seat does not pass the inspection they are upgraded to a new seat at no cost.”
However, that’s not the only way Haddix and McBurnett are ensuring local children are stay- ing strapped in and safe while traveling. Haddix said the pair go out on monthly inspections in local parking lots, and have also handed out free seats during these car seat safety checks.
If seats don’t pass inspection, Haddix said, they are also replaced for free of charge.
“We held an inspection event at Rockmart Walmart in October, and in three hours we inspected 22 car seats and replaced 14 expired ones,” she said.
The next inspeciton event at the Cedartown Walmart is scheduled for Nov. 9 from 3 to 6 pm.
However, the Safe Kids program focus isn’t just solely on car seats. Haddix said they’ve also conducted bike safety events and the give out gun locks dur- ing their annual Safety Day at Home Depot in Cedartown.
Haddix said there are also plans for an ATV safety day, and to get more volunteers involved to learn how to inspect car seats so more local driver have an opportunity to ensure their kids are safe.
If anyone would like to give to the program, funded through grants and donations only, checks can be made out to Safe Kids Polk County and either brought up to the Sheriff’s Office or mailed to 1676 Rockmart Highway Cedartown, Ga., 30125.
For more information on any event or to have a seat checked, call Haddix at 770-749-2937.
For more information on the Safe Kids organization please visit www. safekids.org.