CAMARILLO — The Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) received an $86,880 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to educate the community on preventing motor vehicle injuries to children, the agency announced (Nov. 15).This funding will support VCFD’s mission to raise awareness and educate the community on preventing motor vehicle injuries to children. The grant will facilitate a range of vital initiatives aimed at enhancing child passenger safety within Ventura County.
The California Office of Traffic Safety’s investment in our community underscores the shared commitment to protecting our youngest residents while traveling on our roadways.
“Our primary concern is the safety and well-being of our community,” stated Fire Chief Dustin Gardner. “This grant will help us strengthen our initiatives in child passenger safety and raise awareness about the importance of properly securing children in vehicles.”
Key components of the program include:
· Hands-on child car seat instruction
· Providing child safety seats to families meeting qualifications
· Community Outreach
· Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) training courses
· Local organization partnerships
According to data from Safe Kids Worldwide, unintentional injuries continue to be the leading cause of child fatalities in the United States, with road accidents being a significant contributor to these preventable tragedies. Properly installing and using a car seat can reduce the risk of severe or fatal injuries in a crash for a child by as much as 80%, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, it is concerning that despite caregivers’ and parents’ confidence in their car seat installations, nearly half of them (46%) have been found to be installed incorrectly, according to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
In partnership with Safe Kids Ventura County led by Ventura County Public Health, the Ventura County Fire Department is dedicated to enhancing safety awareness and educational initiatives concerning child passenger safety as well as offering child safety seats to families who meet income eligibility requirements.
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.
For more information, visit our website at https://vcfd.org/child-passenger-safety/.