CAMARILLO, CA — Ventura County Fire (VCFD) received a $65,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to educate the community on preventing motor vehicle injuries to children, the agencies announced today.

In collaboration with Safe Kids Ventura County and Ventura County Public Health, VCFD aims to provide safety awareness and education related to child passenger safety and distribute child safety seats to income eligible families. 

“Motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of death for children,” Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen said. “Parents who properly install and use car seats give their children the best protection while traveling in a vehicle. Unfortunately, many parents have difficulty with proper installation or use. We want to show them how to keep their youngest passengers safe. It could mean the difference between surviving a crash and a tragedy.”

·        Car seat education appointments

·        Child safety seat education classes

·        Providing child safety seats to families meeting qualifications

·        Trainings for Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPST)

According to Safe Kids Worldwide, 71 percent of car seats are not used or installed correctly. In the U.S., motor vehicle injuries are one of the leading causes of preventable deaths among children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Funding for this child passenger safety program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.