The Child Safety Seat Clinic program continues through 2021

The Chandler Council passed and adopted Resolution No. 5346, which authorizes the submission of a Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Grant, for the Child Safety Seat Clinic program, in the amount of $47,105 and also allows the City Manager or a designee to perform grant-specific negotiations and submit documentation on behalf of the City of Chandler.

According to documents, the Chandler Fire Department will apply for a Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Grant in the amount of $47,105 to continue its Child Safety Seat Clinics.

The Chandler Fire Department was given $34,310 for the grant in 2019 to ensure the clinics would run through Sept. 30, 2020.

This is just one way for the Chandler Fire Department and the Chandler Police Department to work together for the safety of Chandler citizens.

The program will be held in the downtown Chandler Police Department parking lot and will offer 42 child safety seat inspection clinics, as well as distribute up to 170 booster and infant seats to families in need.

Clinics are by appointment, usually on Saturday mornings and take about 20 minutes per car seat.

Public education on passenger safety and child safety seat installation will be provided to parents and caregivers by child passenger safety technicians, along with education on child safety around vehicles from hands-on instruction and printed materials.

The child passenger safety technicians are certified at the Chandler Fire Department’s expense and they will be participating in regional and community events sponsored by Safe Kids, led by Child Crisis Arizona, which provides support and other resources to keep kids in Maricopa County safe, along with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and other partners.

Child Crisis Arizona has been educating families about water and bicycle safety, injury prevention for pedestrians and other practices for 25 years from within the Maricopa County Department of Public Health.

The Child Safety Seat Clinics will continue for the period of Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021.

Another way for the Chandler Fire and Police Departments to work together is through the Public Safety Training Center, which provides centralized training facilities for both departments.

Because of the Public Safety Training Center, the departments can put their resources together to train, work and innovate new safety techniques for the public.

Assistant Fire Chief Keith Hargis, with the Chandler Fire Department and Assistant Chief of Police, Bryan Cox, with the Chandler Police Department, are working together within their organizations to ensure that maximum public safety is achieved.

“Our commitment to public safety is executed through many facets of our respective organizations. That includes staffing the correct number of responders and strategically deploying resources, getting equipment,” said Hargis.

“But a critical part is about facilitating the training to our firefighters and police officers that helps refine and enhance their skills so that they can meet the needs of the community.”

“The Public Safety Training Center, is, in our view, a clear demonstration of this council and the city manager’s office of that commitment to the public safety of this community,” said Hargis.

Phase 2 of the Public Safety Training Center just opened this month and Hargis said, “it’s been a fantastic project. It has really enhanced the ability of both of our organizations to train in new and exciting and innovative ways.”

“It’s been a fantastic opportunity for us to grow and to develop but it’s also provided an opportunity for both of our departments to work together,” said Hargis.

“We have a world class training facility provide world class training,” said Cox.

The Public Safety Training Center has shared classroom space, an auditorium that seats up to 250 people, along with other amenities.

Along with the Public Safety Training Center, both departments also rely on the support from the community.

“With a population of 260,000 people, we rely on the trust and the commitment from the community to allow us to police and do it more effectively,” said Cox.

“We work together on a solution.”

“We have a lot of opportunities to work with the public and to engage with the public to help us do our jobs better,” said Cox.

Chandler Councilmember Sam Huang is one of the members of the community who believes that both departments are doing their duty to ensure the safety of Chandler citizens.

“We received compliments in the budget survey about the Police and Fire Departments,” said Huang.

“We would like to say thank you for your devotion and your hard work to keep our community safe.”