Did you miss Safe Kids Campbell County on the Radio?

If you missed Campbell County Health Emergency Medical Services pros Diana Shannon and Colleen Long talk about car seats and bike helmets this morning on Basin Radio Network’s Wake Up Wyoming with Vic Wright (KIML 1270 AM/106.7 FM), check out some highlights below:

Wyoming law requires that children who are at least 1 year old or under 20 pounds ride in a rear facing child seat, starting with their first ride home from the hospital. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all infants and toddlers should “ride in a rear-facing seat until they are at least 2 years of age or, until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car seat manufacturer.”

Wyoming law also requires that children 9 years old and younger to be properly restrained with a child car or booster seat in the back seat of the vehicle. The penalty is a $50 fine for the first offense and a $100 for the second offense. Safe Kids Campbell County encourages all parents to have their children ride in the back seats of their vehicles until they are at least 13 years old.

“Every car seat is different, so make sure that you check the label on your car seat to make sure it’s appropriate for your child’s age, weight and height,” says Diana. “And Safe Kids Campbell County recommends that you never buy a car seat that someone has for sale—you don’t know if they have changed something on it, or removed something. Once a car seat has been in a crash, is missing parts, or is expired or broken, it should not be used.”

Car seat and child safety seat inspections are held on Wednesdays by appointment at the Emergency Medical Services Base, 502 Stocktrail Avenue. Call 307.688.SAFE (7233) to schedule. Replacement car seats are available for a $30 contribution. Check out more car safety seat tips at www.cchwyo.org/cstips.

According to Safe Kids Campbell County, helmets can reduce the risk of severe brain injuries by 88 percent. To encourage Campbell County residents to have a safe summer, CCH EMS is stopping children and families as they ride their bikes. Those wearing helmets are cited with a delicious incentive—a voucher for a free ice cream cone at The Ice Cream Cafe!

“It’s so important to wear a bike helmet. We can fix arms and legs, but you only get one head,” says Colleen. “A head injury can often mean a brain injury, and too often we can’t fix those.”

And this Wednesday, June 28, from 3-6 pm, EMS will give away free bike helmets to children who need them at the Gillette EMS Base, 502 Stocktrail Avenue. Check out some bike safety tips, including a video on how to make sure your helmet is fitted properly, at www.cchwyo.org/bike.

Safe Kids Campbell County provides our community with free car seat checks by appointment, safety seat events, bike rodeos and much more to help educate our children. Learn more at www.cchwyo.org/safekids.