The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety has awarded a highway safety grant of $45,510 to the Chandler Fire Department.

The grant will enable the department to continue its Child Safety Seat Clinics program through Sept. 30, according to a news release.

Grant funds will be used to staff clinics and to provide child safety seats for families who cannot afford to purchase this lifesaving equipment on their own.

The Chandler Fire Department offers car seat clinics scheduled on select Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Chandler Public Safety Center, 3550 S. Dobson Road. The next clinic scheduled is on April  19.

Clinics are conducted by CFD personnel who have been certified as child passenger seat technicians through SafeKids International, the release states. The technicians ensure each child is safeguarded in the appropriate seat for their age and weight, and they provide one-on-one instruction to caregivers on how to properly install and use their child’s car seat.

Motor vehicle injuries are a leading cause of death among children in the U.S., due in large part to the nonuse or improper use of child seats and seat belts.

The Chandler Fire Department and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety have partnered to safeguard Arizona’s most precious motor vehicle passengers for more than two decades, the release states. Since 2002, this partnership has enabled Chandler firefighters to protect the lives of more than 12,000 Arizona children by helping to ensure each child is properly secured when riding in a motor vehicle.

For more information about the program, including the link to the registration portal for available clinics, click here..

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