• Announcements and Notices
• Lifesavers 2006
  
• Program Reminders
• CPS Customer Service Survey
• Recertification Reminder
  
• Upcoming Program Developments
• Operational Group Concludes
  
• Just for Instructors
• Reading the Certification Exam
• Changing a Course Shipping Address
  
• Just for Fun
• CPS Resources
• AAP Discount on CRS Brochure
• Share Your Knowledge!
• Keep 'em Buckled
  
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
• Why should I register my organization with the new Safe Kids organization management system?
• Do I have to be CPS certified to use the organization management system?
  
• Contact Us
• CPS Customer Service
• 877-366-8154 (toll free)
• cps.certification@safekids.org

Lifesavers 2006

It was a real pleasure to talk with so many certified technicians and instructors at the annual Lifesavers conference in beautiful Austin, Texas.  The CPS Certification presentation, along with many others, will be posted on the Lifesavers Web site but the CPS Certification presentation is available today through the CPS Express!.

At the Certification exhibit table, many of you expressed an interest in the small CPS recertification reminder. It is now available on our Web site.

As always, if you would like to see additional resources available on our Web site or in the CPS Express!,  please share them with us.

CPS Customer Service Survey Available

Safe Kids is interested in your experiences with our CPS Customer Service by toll-free phone (877-366-8154) and cps.certification@safekids.org.  Please take a few minutes to complete the survey available on the certification Web site under Contact Us. 

This 20-question survey should take no more than five minutes to complete.  There is no limit to the number of times you can share your opinions with us. Thank you for helping us improve our customer service. 

Recertification Reminder

Don’t Risk Your Certification—You may recertify up to four months before your certification expiration date. 

• Seat checks may be logged at any time during your certification cycle and must be approved before you can register for recertification. 
• You may complete registration up to 4 months in advance of your certification expiration date.  Registration MUST be completed by your certification expiration date.

Once your recertification registration is processed, you will have 30 days to complete the online exam. The test does not have to be completed by your certification expiration date.

If your test is never started, inadvertently submitted or incomplete when the term expires, it will be graded and you won’t get your money refunded.

End-user Operational Group Ending

We will be concluding this group because of lack of interest.  We view this as extremely positive and a result of people feeling like Safe Kids is listening to the field, that they need to be a member of a group to provide feedback and we are available through other venues. Please continue to provide your specific suggestions on how to improve the Web site and program to Kerry Chausmer.  

Both the certification exam and the certification retake exam may be read to a student.  It is often helpful for students who have a visual disability, a problem reading or for whom English is a second language.  When reading the test, please provide the student with a copy of the test so they may follow along.  They are also welcome to mark in their test booklets, which they may find helpful.

Reading aloud is hard work, so be sure to have a drink ready and, if possible, share the responsibility with another instructor.

When reading the test, please slowly and carefully read each question.  Be careful to avoid providing any verbal or nonverbal clues about the question or answers.  That might include different voice tones or eye contact for correct and incorrect responses.  It is up to you and the student to discuss expectations.  For example, "I will read the question, pause and then repeat the question.  If you would like the question read again, please ask."  Allow time for the student to mark their answers in their score sheet. 

As always, you are not to discuss the question with the student and the student may not have access to other resources.

Changing the Shipping Information for a Course

As a course administrator or lead instructor, the online system will allow you to edit the shipping address within 3 weeks of the course starting. However, since the course materials are shipped out 3-4 weeks in advance of the course, please call CPS Customer Service toll-free at 877-366-8154 to be sure the shipment has not already gone out.  If you make a change online after this point, instead of making a phone call, it will not take effect and the shipping address will stay the same.

If the course materials have already been shipped out, we ask that you please pick them up from the original location, as we are not able to recall shipments. 

Have you tried to use your Certification Renewal Course CD and had a problem with the videos?

If you run the PowerPoint and none of the videos play, copy the module files and the individual video files to a new CD (no folders). The videos will run correctly within the modules.

Submitted by Boyd Tong, CPSTI (Indian Lake Estates, Fla.)
NOTE: Reprinted from June 21, 2005 CPS Express!

Certification CD: Latest edition

All currently certified instructors and instructor candidates will receive a copy of the May 2004 CPS Certification course instructor CD in the next week or so.  Although it has not been revised since then, NHTSA is sending this CD to ensure that all courses are taught using the most up-to-date CD available with all the slides and working video clips.  

Please discard any out-of-date CDs or course files.

Are You A CPS Nerd? Test Your Knowledge!

This section of the newsletter highlights trivia and facts about child passenger safety.

Please submit your ideas to Kerry Chausmer. Be sure to include how you would like your name to appear.

Q:  Who invented the traffic signal?
BONUS: What year was it patented?

Q: What year, make and model seat was the basis for the FMVSS 213 dynamic crash tests?
Submitted by SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. (Torrance, Calif.)

Answers at the end of this newsletter.  

A Special Offer for CPSTs from the American Academy of Pediatrics

Car Safety Seats: A Guide for Families 2006 is now available from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Updated annually, this 32-page brochure helps parents make informed decisions about car seat selection and use. The 2006 edition includes information on booster seats, LATCH, air bags, car seat recalls, installation tips, and built-in seats offered by auto manufacturers, plus updated feature comparisons of more than 60 seats.

The AAP is pleased to offer a 25% discount (50 brochures for $16.50 instead of the usual $22) to nationally certified CPS Technicians through June 30, 2006. (You are also welcome to pass along this special discount to any organizations or programs that use the services of nationally certified CPS Technicians.) To take advantage of this special offer, call 888-227-1770 and mention promo code CPST.

Submitted by Kathy Juhl, AAP (Elk Grove Village, Ill.)

Keep 'em Buckled

The last thing you have time for on your average busy day is explaining to the nice police officer why your child is not buckled up properly in his car seat. While you were busy driving, your child was busy maneuvering his way out of his car seat. It happens.

I've found a few ways to keep my little Houdini buckled up safely:

• "Mommy's car doesn't turn on until everyone is buckled up." It may be a little white lie, but with the alternative being a possible injury, your redemption will be priceless.
• "You don't want Mommy to get stopped by the police, do you?" It's a very real fact that with so many states having tougher child passenger safety laws, you may very well get stopped one of these days. Children look up to law enforcement — use that to your advantage.
• "Your grandpa will be very proud of you for listening to Mommy." Parents know nothing! Every kid will tell you that. Consider using a back-up as an authority figure — someone your child really looks up to. Knowing that Grandpa buckles up might be enough to get your child to do the same.

Also available at ClubMom.com.

Submitted by Marci Burke (Sparks, Nev.)

Why should I register my organization with the new Safe Kids organization management system? (added Dec. 15, 2005)

Registering your organization allows you to:

• Better track affiliates certifications
• Allow your affiliates to pay for courses, re-certification or instructor candidacy online using your organization’s POs and/or e-voucher
• Register your affiliates for courses and manage those registrations (e.g. reschedule, cancel, substitute)

Do I have to be CPS certified to use the organization management system? (added Dec. 15, 2005)

No. Anyone is able to register their organization with Safe Kids. In many instances, this will be the administrative or accounting contact person for your agency. This person, referred to as the organization manager, will be responsible for registering the organization with Safe Kids and managing online payments by purchase order or e-voucher.

Through the Web site, the organization manager will also be able to track affiiliates' certifications, reschedule registrations and handle substitutions. Responsible for accounting and affiliate management, the organization manager does not provide CPS training or education unless they are currently CPS certified.

NOTE:  A variety of step-by-step instructions with screen shots are available on our web site under Resources--> Instructions. 

Q.  Who invented the traffic signal?

A.  Garrett Morgan was one of the first to acquire a U.S. patent for an inexpensive to produce hand-cranked traffic signal. The patent was granted on November 20, 1923.

Source: http://inventors.about.com/

Q: What year, make and model seat was the basis for the FMVSS 213 dynamic crash tests?

A: The bench seat was based on the configuration and performance parameters of the 1974 Chevrolet Impala production front bench seat.

Submitted by SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. (Torrance, Calif.)

Questions? Comments? Concerns?

Safe Kids Worldwide
CPS Certification
1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20004

Phone: 877-366-8154 (toll free)
Fax: 202-393-2072
cps.certification@safekids.org