Parents no longer have to wait for a clinic to get their child’s car seat inspected.

Marietta Fire Chief C.W. Durham said he was recently named a certified child passenger safety technician.

“There was an opportunity,” he said. “The Stark County Health Department, regional coordinators for the car seat program, offered the training.”

He said the program was a partnership with Safe Kids, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Child Passenger Safety Board and National Safety Council.

The NHTSA notes car crashes are a leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 13.

Durham said he saw a need with questions and concerns from parents. There are a couple of other organizations in the county who do car seat inspections, but he wanted to round it out.

“It’s a nice fixed location. They can schedule to have the seat inspected,” he said.

The fire department will try to be as flexible as possible with appointments.

“We’re waiting to see what the needs are,” he explained. “We’ll try our best to meet the needs of the public.”

He said when a car seat is inspected, he looks for a variety of things, including if it’s a proper seat for the child’s age, height and weight; the age and condition of the seat; and is it properly installed based on the car seat and car manufacturer’s recommendations.

The NHTSA recommends a child from birth to 12 months should ride in a rear-facing seat. A child should ride in a rear-facing seat as long as possible, a child can ride in a forward-facing seat from ages 1 to 7, depending on the height and weight recommendations from the car seat manufacturer.

From ages 4 to 12, a child can ride in a booster seat and from 8 to 13 can use a seat belt, again depending on recommendations from the car seat manufacturer, the NHTSA notes.

To schedule an appointment with Marietta Fire Station 1, 301 Putnam St., call 740-376-6444.

Michele Newbanks can be reached at mnewbanks@mariettatimes.com.