Program

• Issues in Child Passenger Safety Technician Recruitment and Retention
  Keynote: Dr. Angela Brown, National Safety Council

  CPST recruitment and retention is the heartbeat of every CPS program. Without technicians how can we educate parents on proper car seat usage? Through this table discussion, let’s learn together how we can tackle barriers that discourage technicians from renewing their certification and meeting recertification requirements.

• The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)
  Laura Dunn, NHTSA Child Passenger Safety

  The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) has implications for child passenger safety. Laura will present a brief overview of what is in the authorization that impacts child passenger safety, and share some of NHTSA’s plans regarding BIL components.

• Texas Technician of the Year Award Presentation
• Texas Instructor of the Year Award Presentation

• Child Passenger Safety in Older Cars (1 CEU)
  (Magnolia)

  Denise Donaldson
  (To be repeated Friday)

  What makes a car “old” as far as CPS goes, and why is it important to understand old cars? Learn all the details of what to look for in older vehicles, how to find owner’s manuals for older vehicles, and important differences for CPS in older model vehicles.

• The Evolution of Consumer Driven Innovation (1 CEU)
  (Cane)

  Vera Fullaway

  As a result of manufacturers and child restraint design teams listening to consumers, many innovations have been brought forth to increase convenience, safety, and functionality. This session will explore some of the currently available, and upcoming unique features.

• Remember the Why (Community Event)
  (Bluebonnet)

  Lonny Haschel

  What’s your Why? Using twenty plus years of experience in child passenger safety, Lonny will reflect on why CPS Technicians do what they do. Why are they so passionate? Why are they so dedicated? Why are they team players? We’ve all been through much the past couple years and these are unique times. It’s important to remember what drives the CPS Technician. The workshop is designed to reenergize and motivate participants in a light-hearted way to help them remember their Why.

• Good, Better, Best. Are We There Yet? (1 CEU)
  (Mahogany)

  Sarah Tilton

  This presentation will take a deep dive into the Good, Better, Best concept while connecting it to “acceptable” and “safe” installations and use of new car seats and booster seat technology. Comparing newest car seats on the market, manufacturer’s user guides and directives to understand what drives caregiver’s decisions and how we can best communicate to the caregiver. Often we as Technicians can be over zealous when a caregiver doesn’t make the decision to follow best practice.

• Let’s Talk About Disparities in CPS (Community Event)
  (Magnolia)

  Dr. Angela Brown

  Racial and ethnic disparities are prevalent across the country when addressing child passenger safety. Many technicians are eager to work with these populations but do not know where to begin. Learn about the gaps in education and targeted outreach, and highlighted best practice strategies and tools to reach some of these diverse populations.

• What Would Joe Do? (1 CEU)
  (Cane)

  Joe Colella
  (To be repeated Friday)

  Child Passenger Safety expert and Instructor Joe Colella discusses some of the difficult situations encountered by technicians and tips and tricks on how to handle them. The participatory session will also include some practical solutions to the real-world problems that technicians continue to see in the field.

• Child Development and Child Restraint Systems (1 CEU)
  (Bluebonnet)

  Dr. Ben Hoffman

  This session will cover child development and how it affects child passenger safety. Attendees will learn about anatomic and physiologic differences between children and adults. They will be able to identify normative growth patterns for children, list identifiable injury patterns suffered by children in motor vehicle crashes, and describe key developmental milestones that can affect child passengers.

• Airbags 201 (1 CEU)
  (Mahogany)

  Jennifer Pelky
  (To be repeated Friday)

  In this session you will go beyond what you learned in your CPST course and gain a deeper understanding of the physics of a crash and how air bags work to reduce injury. You will learn about the anatomy of an airbag, their effectiveness in the field, and how to check for recalls. Finally, we will discuss the ongoing Takata air bag recall, including ways you can help support affected families and keep children safe in vehicles.

Joe Colella

Self-driving vehicles are expected to reduce crashes, crash injuries and other road safety issues as they evolve, and some may be very different from the vehicles we have on the road now. Vehicle manufacturers, automated driving system designers and car seat makers must understand and prioritize the unique safety needs of children as these systems are developed. In this short session, CPS advocates can get a glimpse of the future as it unfolds, some future changes we anticipate, and known best practices for going forward.

• What Would Joe Do?(1 CEU) (Repeat)
  (Magnolia)

  Joe Colella

• Car Seat Tolerance Screening (1 CEU)
  (Cane)

  Dr. Ben Hoffman

  Nobody Puts Baby In A Car Seat…until they are ready, that is…. Many premature and medically fragile infants experience cardiorespiratory instability when positioned in a child safety seat. The Car Seat Tolerance Screen remains complex, and this workshop will examine exactly what we know, and what we don’t, with the goal of ensuring that every infant can travel home safely.

• Child Passenger Safety in Older Cars(1 CEU) (Repeat)
  (Bluebonnet)

  Denise Donaldson

• Airbags 201(1 CEU) (Repeat)
  (Mahogany)

  Jennifer Pelky