For as long as I can remember I have been told that if you go to a Fire Station anywhere in the US of A firefighters will come out to your car and inspect your car seat installation job and assure you that you have installed it correctly. Now, I remember hearing this long before I ever became pregnant myself so I assumed it to be the truth. I assumed that you could, without your husband in tow, spend an hour with some hunky fireman while he installed my baby's car seat. Once I became pregnant the rumor spread even faster. I heard it in EVERY single baby prep class we took. So, let me be the first to tell you all that THIS IS A LIE! A BIG FAT LIE!!!! Here is the tale of how I found out.
Last Monday I decided to stop by our local firehouse and see if I could have our car seat installation approved. We have a 1999 Nissan Sentra that has none of the new fangled anchors and reinforced belt systems so I thought it especially important that we have someone check it out. Much to my surprise they turned me down.
Me: "So I have heard that you guys check out car seat installation and approve proper placement?"
Not so hunky fireman: " Yeah, No. That is a rumor. The city of Portland refuses to take on the liability so we aren't trained."
Me: "Oh. Well. I guess that is okay."
Fireman: "You could go to Tualatin and have their firemen do it. I know they are trained."
Me: "Perfect. I don't work far from there I will give them a call tomorrow."
He then proceeded to head out to my car to take a look from a fathers perspective. He unbuckled the car seat loosened the straps flipped it over and said, "Yeah, I don't know about this. I would take it out to someone who is trained."
Gee thanks.
On Tuesday I decided to call the Tualatin Valley Fire Department first to see if they would do it. In short, they don't either. No firehouse in Oregon will take on the liability of installing a car seat. In fact, they are not even trained in the installation of them. It is a lie that has been propagated by thousands of people for decades. Maybe they did at one point, I don't know, but I am here to set the record straight. Don't bother with them ladies. It is a waste of time!
2 comments:
I KNEW it! That's why I never even bothered. Er, maybe that was just me being lazy, which is also why I made Kelly read the instruction manual. ;)
I'm sending this on to my bro-in-law who is a fireman! I'm going to find out if they do it in WA or not.
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