Child Car Seat Installation Program
Do you know that ….
- Motor vehicle crashes are one of the single greatest killers of Americans
- Nearly 1.25 million people are killed in car accidents each year. That means, on average, auto accidents cause 3,287 deaths per day.(Source: https://www.thewanderingrv.com/car-accident-statistics/)
- Injury prevention is a process to reduce or decrease injuries or death due to injury
Nassau County Police Department offers a Free “educational” service that will teach you how to properly install your child passenger seat. This is an educational service, not an installation service.
We host one (1) evening training per month on a Thursday night. Appointments are required and are booked through Nassau County Traffic Safety at 516-571-9664.
Each appointment will take approximately 30 minutes (1/2 hour per car seat).
Please bring your vehicle, car seat, and the child to your scheduled appointment. If possible bring second adult to watch child while we show you how to install your seat.
Kim’s Story – The Story of the Importance of Proper Child Car Seat Installation
Officer Hassell was assigned to the 8th. Precinct in Levittown on Aug.7, 1988 and was assigned Radio Motor Patrol 801. She received many commendations including:
- 4/23/90 Congressional Certificate of Commendation
- 10/18/90 Certificates of Merit (2)
- 10/18/90 Excellent Police Duty Certificate
- 10/18/90 Office of the Executive, Nassau County Citation
- 1/21/91 Office of the Town Board, Town of Oyster Bay Citation
- 6/22/93 Meritorious Police Citation
In 1991 Kimberly applied for, and was transferred to, the Juvenile Aid Bureau. Being a terrific orator with a sunny personality served her well when lecturing to youth at schools and community centers. She also was extremely knowledgeable working on computers. Officer Hassell also worked with recruits coming out of the Academy. Even now after 17 years I have Officers she worked with approaching me and telling me how she impacted their lives and they remember her happy disposition at all times.
Because she loved children and young adults so much, she was always coming up with new Ideas for their well-being. It was around the same time that she was pregnant with her son, Randy, that she realized the importance of proper child seat installation. She shared her ideas and enlisted other Officers in this endeavor. Susan & Arnie Katz and many more members of the Nassau County Police Department have kept her dream going. Sadly, my daughter, Kimberly, passed away on June 28, 1999 due to horrific medical errors. A beautiful and useful life was snuffed out due to pure carelessness. Her family and her son, Randy, live with her loss every day.
The Hassell family decided to carry on Kimberly’s legacy by continuing the child car seat safety program in her name. Not only is the Nassau County Police Department. involved but also Suffolk County Police Department. Our family business, Hassell Auto Body, carries on her passion by not only installing car seats at our place of business, but by conducting classes for those people who need to be certified to install them. Yes, you need to be certified to install child car seats properly; we have come a long way in putting our children’s safety first – what could be more important. We provide a room for our classes and the car seats are installed at our shop free of charge. I know Kimberly and her father, who started this whole concept, look down and give their blessing. When the car seat installation was initiated it was called K.I.M, – Kids In Motion. The Nassau County Police Department dedicated a trailer in Kim’s honor; it holds car seats and everything you need to install them. After 17 years, the dedication to her memory remains the same and the dream that she had continues starting with her father, Doug Sr., her mother, Ann, her sister, Kelly, her son, Randy, and her brother, Doug Jr. who has taken the reins in the form of Hassell Auto Body.
Story written by Ann Hassell, Kim’s Mom on June 23, 2016