Did you know?

• Safety seat straps should always be flat, not twisted, to ensure they adequately absorb crash forces
• A child’s safety seat harness clip should always be at armpit level
• A child safety seat is more effective in a crash if the child’s jacket is worn over the straps instead of underneath

Don’t worry, most people are unaware of these simple tips that can help keep children safe in a vehicle crash. These are just a few examples of what Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Technicians learn throug their training.

What is a Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Technician?
CPS technicians are very important to their community. They are individuals who care about the safety of children and want to share their knowledge about the importance of proper child safety seat use with parents and caregivers. In Colorado, 4 out of 5 car seats are installed incorrectly, leaving children susceptible to injury and death in a vehicle crash. Used properly, child safety seats and seat belts prevent injuries and save lives.
CPS Technicians learn all about seat belt types, crash dynamics and proper car seat selection during a 3-4 day class that combines hands-on work with car seats and vehicles, and a community check up event where they have an opportunity to practice their newly learned skills. Successful completion of this course certifies technicians for two years!

Bilingual Technicians Needed
CPS Team Colorado is especially in need of bilingual (English/Spanish) CPS technicians. Vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death in our state for Hispanic children. As a matter of fact, in Colorado, nearly one-fourth of victims of crash-related deaths last year, were Hispanic.
Seat belts and child passenger safety seats are not regulated in many Latin American countries, and many parents are simply unaware of the important role these restraint systems play in ensuring safety in a crash. Education on how to properly install a car seat, delivered in the parents’ native language, is essential to ensuring Spanish-speaking parents and caregivers are properly securing their children when traveling.

Make a Difference
Join the ranks of hundreds of CPS technicians in Colorado who are teaching parents and caregivers in their communites how to keep their children safe while traveling. Contact Jennifer Lucero-Alvarez at carseatscolorado@yahoo.com with your name, mailing address and phone number to register for a session near you!

Training Schedule
Montrose, CO
April 20, 2009 – April 23, 2009
Montrose Fire Department
441 S. Uncompaghre
Montrose, CO 81401

Pueblo, CO
May 5, 2009 – May 9, 2009
Colorado State Patrol Training Room
903 Erie
Pueblo, CO 81001

Greeley, CO
June 1, 2009 – June 4, 2009
Greeley Fire Department
2301 W. Reservoir Rd.
Greeley, CO 80634

Summit County
June 24, 2009 – June 27, 2009
Location TBD

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How much does training cost?
Training is $60 per registrant and includes all materials, and lunch, each day of the training. This fee excludes any applicable late fees. Scholarships are available for registrants who meet the following requirements:

• Complete the training successfully
• Participate in at least four child passenger safety check up events during the 2-year certification period.

Please send an email to carseatscolorado@yahoo.com for more information regarding scholarships.

2. Will the course be presented in English or Spanish?
The certification course is conducted in English; however, the testing can be administered in either English or in Spanish. All official written documentation, including correspondence with technician-candidates and certified individuals, and the website will be in English.

3. What is the age requirement?
The minimum age requirement for CPS certification is 18 at the time the course starts. 

4. Where does CPS Team Colorado get its training curriculum?
Tens of thousands of individuals have been certified as Child Passenger Safety Technicians and Instructors, nationwide, since the standardized curriculum and certification program began in 1997. The curriculum was developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Safe Kids Worldwide.

5. How will I know if I pass?
To pass the course you must successfully complete all three skill assessments, which include written and hands-on skills assessments and participation in a car seat check up event on the last day of the course.

Both written and hands-on skill assessments take place during the certification course. Instructors will award a pass/fail grade at the conclusion of each test. There are a series of three written quizzes. To pass the written portion, technician candidates must get at least 42 (out of 50) questions correct . The passing score is 84 percent.

Safe Kids will mail official notification letters directly to newly certified technicians within 20 business days of the course being finalized by the lead instructor. Notifications of failure to qualify for certification will also be sent at that time.

Newly-certified technicians may log into their CPS online profile and print a wallet card/certificate.

6. Where will I be certified to check car seats as a CPS Technician?
This certification is valid for practice in the United States and its territories and on non-domesticU.S. military installations.