This story is a part of an ongoing series titled, “12 Days of Giving,” where we will highlight just a few of the many IAFF members supporting their communities this holiday season.
A car seat is more than an item; it’s a commitment to protection.
This holiday travel season, Derek Zalenski, Vice President of Public Relations for Wilke-Barre, PA Local 104 emphasizes the importance of securely strapping children into car seats.
“We have care seat check with Santa,” said Zalenski. “This is the third year we’ve done it, turning it into a holiday event. We bring in Santa, certified technicians from the Pennsylvania State Police, and personnel from the Wilkes-Barre Fire and Police Departments.
“It’s a festive way to ensure car seat safety,” he said.
This year, they conducted 16 car seat checks and provided new ones to families in need.
“One of the things we needed to do was to put a little more emphasis on our public relations, that community value we have that sometimes isn’t relayed as it should be,” said Travis Temarantz, Local 104 President. “We’ve done other projects like the ‘Coats for Kids’ and ‘Fill the Boot’ drive, and it’s nice to be able to get out there and see the impact.”
Required in every U.S. state and Canada, car seats, with their life-saving potential, see increased use through distributed seats and hands-on education. A 2023 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study on fatal crashes in the U.S. revealed that 30% of 0-3-year-olds and 36% of 8-12-year-olds lacked proper restraints, emphasizing the critical need for correct installation.
For Zalenski, hosting yearly events became essential. Acknowledging the community’s need for car seat checks, he established these events as a beneficial community service during the holiday season.
“A few years ago, I decided to take the car seat certification class because I thought it was one of those niche things that I could get into and no one else in the department had it,” he said. “I thought it would be a good community outreach thing to do; we have a few people a year that call the station, or they email us, and they want their car seat checked, so they come to the fire department and get it done.”
They’re showing families that a safe journey is the key to a joyful holiday trip. “You get to see what people need, and assist the community you work in,” said Temarantz. “You see it, but you don’t understand the broad impact of that until you do something like that.”
Local 104 members are also hosting a toy drive benefiting pediatric patients at Janet Weis Children’s Hospital in Danville, PA. Toys can be dropped off at the fire station until Dec. 13.
