Take Action To Prevent Heatstroke In Cars

Today we are joining our partners in safety, SafeKids, as they kick off their  Heatstroke Awareness

Campaign.

Did you know that even on a mild 70-degree day, the temperature inside of a car can rise 19 degrees in just 10 minutes?

As well, did you know that Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children? On average, every ten days a child dies from heatstroke in a vehicle.

Learn more by going here: HEATSTROKE

Never Leave Your Child Alone In A Car

From our partners in safety SafeKids:

At this time last year, 26 children had died from heatstroke after being left in a hot car. This year, 18 children have died. While we are making progress in spreading awareness about the dangers of heatstroke, even one death is too many.

Help us spread the word by sharing this blog post with photo.

Heatstroke - How Hot The Inside Of A Car Can Get

In light of our close call yesterday I thought this would be good to re-post from a few weeks ago. BD

An extremely eye opening video from our friends at SafeKids. Please take 53 seconds to watch!

If you ever see a child alone in a car, please call 911. You could save a life!

Heatstroke - How Hot The Inside Of A Car Can Get

An extremely eye opening video from our friends at SafeKids. Please take 53 seconds to watch!

If you ever see a child alone in a car, please call 911. You could save a life!

Heatstroke: Could it Happen to Your Child?

Today is National Heatstroke Prevention Day. Please take a moment to view the video below from our partners in safety SafeKids.

National Heatstroke Prevention Day: Don’t Leave Children Alone in Hot Cars!

Today is National Heatstroke Prevention Day!  Sadly there have been 24 deaths so far in the US this year--we are ahead of last year at this time!  Today our partners in safety, Safe Kids, will be posting on Facebook and tweet every hour on the hour from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. various safety messages.  Safe Kids will be using the hash tag #heatstroke on all its social media posts and asks you to do the same.  We will be tweeting as well on our Twitter feed @mcfrs.

Below, please find some helpful tips from SafeKids as well as a video highlighting the danger.  Please spread the word!  BD

• July 31 is “National Heatstroke Prevention Day,” a day-long social media campaign created to raise awareness about the dangers of leaving children alone in hot cars. 

• So far in 2013 there have been at least 24 deaths of children unattended in vehicles.

• These tragedies happened in 15 different states from Texas and Florida to Idaho and Minnesota.

• They happened in temperatures as hot as 100 degrees and as mild as 76 degrees.

• Safe Kids is working with NHTSA and the GM Foundation to ask all our partners to help us raise awareness about the dangers of leaving children alone in cars.

From SafeKids.org

• Safe Kids is going to post on Facebook and tweet every hour on the hour from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Safe Kids will be using the hash tag #heatstroke on all its social media posts and asks you to do the same. Our twitter handle is @safekidsusa if you want to retweet.

• We’re asking everyone to get involved by using your social media outlets and posting as many times as you can throughout the day to keep the conversation going.

• We have sample posts and tweets for you at Safekids.org.

The Issue

• Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children.

• It occurs when the body isn’t able to cool itself quickly enough and the body temperature rises to dangerous levels.

• Young children are particularly at risk as their body heats up three to five times faster than an adult’s.

• When a child’s internal temperature gets to 104 degrees, major organs begin to shut down. And when that child’s temperature reaches 107 degrees, the child can die.

• Because of this, and because cars heat up so quickly – 19 degrees in 10 minutes – tragedies can happen faster than you think.

• Symptoms can quickly progress from flushed, dry skin and vomiting to seizures, organ failure and death.

Key Stats

• Since 1998, at least 585 children across the United States have died from heatstroke when unattended in a vehicle.

• That’s one child every 10 days.

• Happens in three ways:

            •52% - child “forgotten" by caregiver

            •29% - child playing in unattended vehicle

            •18% - child intentionally left in vehicle by adult

• In 2010, 49 children died from heatstroke. In 2012, one of the hottest years on record, 33 children died.  

• Heatstroke deaths have been recorded in 11 months of the year in nearly all 50 states.

Top Safety Tips

•          Heatstroke can happen anytime. Anywhere.

o          And it’s also completely preventable. 

•          We don’t want to see this happen to any family.

Safe Kids is working with great partners like NHTSA and the GM Foundation to remind parents and caregivers to ACT.

A: Avoid heatstroke-related injury and death by never leaving your child alone in a car, not even for a minute. And make sure to keep your car locked when you’re not in it so kids don’t get in on their own. 

C: Create reminders by putting something in the back of your car next to your child such as a briefcase, a purse or a cell phone that is needed at your final destination. This is especially important if you’re not following your normal routine.

T: Take action. If you see a child alone in a car, call 911. Emergency personnel want you to call. They are trained to respond to these situations. One call could save a life.

Look Before You Lock! Heatwave Can Be Especially Dangerous For Children

When temperatures rise, so does the risk of an unimaginable tragedy – children accidentally left in hot cars. Nationally, the number of children who have died in cars as a result of the heat has already DOUBLED compared to the same time last year. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue is teaming up with Safe Kids Worldwide to prevent child deaths and injuries in hot cars.

 
When outside temperatures are in the low 80s, the temperature inside a vehicle can reach deadly levels in only minutes even with a window rolled down two inches. With sustained and record-breaking temperatures predicted in the region, families are reminded that one of the greatest dangers is leaving a child in a car unattended on a hot day. Children’s bodies do not acclimate to the heat as well as adults and can overheat easily. Infants and children under four years old are at the greatest risk for heat-related illness.
Hard Facts

Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children. On average, every 10 days a child dies from heatstroke in a vehicle. Children can also sustain injuries from hot cars that include permanent brain injury, blindness and loss of hearing. Heatstroke tragedies often occur when there has been a change in a family’s daily routine, a parent leaves a child in the car “for just a minute” unaware how quickly the temperature in a car can rise to dangerous levels or after a child gets into an unlocked vehicle to play unbeknownst to the parent or caregiver.

Top Tips
These tragedies are preventable. Avert and reduce the number of deaths from heatstroke by remembering to ACT:

A: Avoid heatstroke-related injury and death by never leaving your child unattended in a car, not even for a minute. Make a habit of looking in the vehicle – front and back – and keep keys stored out of a child’s reach and car doors locked when the vehicle is not in use to prevent children from getting in on their own.  

C: Create reminders by putting something in the back of your car next to your child such as a briefcase, a purse or a cell phone that is needed at your final destination. This is especially important if you’re not following your normal routine. 

T: Take action. If you see a child alone in a car, call 911. Emergency personnel want you to call. They are trained to respond to these situations. One call could save a life.

From Hot to Hotter! Prepare and be Aware!

While it was fairly hot yesterday and now today, weather forecasters are now indicating Wednesday through Saturday will be even hotter!

As one of our County residents recently pointed out on Facebook (thank you Mr. Lopes), our seniors are especially susceptible to the heat. Please make sure to check on any senior friends or family members during this heat wave. Since many are on fixed incomes, broken air conditioners may stay broke and are not working when they need them the most. Or, the fear of the electric bill may also provoke some to just keep it off and attempt other, less effective ways to stay cool.

So PLEASE make sure to check up on your senior friends, neighbors and family members!

Please take a moment to click on both links below and review the various tips. Also make sure you forward on to friends and family! Prepare and be aware!

Cool Tips for Hot Weather

Hot Cars and Kids are a Deadly Combination

Be safe!

Bill

Hot Cars and Kids are a Deadly Combination

This is a car accident that CAN be avoided

This time of year, temperatures in cars soar quickly and even with a window cracked, the temperature in a car can beome life-threatening within minutes. As temperatures rise, so does the risk of children being forgotten in vehicles, still strapped in their carseats, and dying from excessive heat exposure. The body temperature of children rises 3 – 5 times faster than adults and, as a result, children are much more vulnerable to heat stroke. Across the country, July is typically the deadliest month for child fatalities in hot cars and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service officials are reminding busy parents that it is NEVER okay to leave a child unattended in a car for any length of time or at any time of year. Busy parents have a lot on their minds and are urged to review the following safety tips to avert a heat-related tragedy as temperatures across the Washington Metropolitan area continue to soar:

• NEVER leave infants, children, pets or the elderly unattended in a parked car where temperatures can surge quickly and become life-threatening within minutes, even with the windows cracked.

• To avoid forgetting your child, always put your cell phone, PDA, gym bag, purse or briefcase, and anything else you'll need that day, on the floor of the backseat. When you retrieve it at the end of the ride, you'll see your child.

• Set the alarm on your cell phone/smartphone as a reminder to you to drop your child off at day care.

• Take your children inside the home, and then unload groceries, dry cleaning and other items.

• Never assume someone else -- a spouse, an older child -- has taken a young child out of their carseat upon arrival at your destination.

• Keep vehicles locked at all times, always set your parking brake and keep keys and/or remote openers out of reach of children.

• Hot interior surfaces of a car can burn a child’s skin. Before you put your child in a car that has been parked in a warm/sunny spot, check the temperature of the carseat or upholstery first.

• Don’t let kids play in vehicles and if a child is missing, check vehicles and trunks FIRST as well as any swimming areas.

• Keep a teddy bear or other stuffed animal in the car seat when it's empty. When you put your child in the seat, move the animal to the front passenger seat to remind you that your baby's on board.

• Establish a plan with your child's babysitter or daycare provider to always phone you promptly if your child isn't dropped off as scheduled.

• Establish a routine of always checking the back seat everytime you exit the car to ensure no one is left behind. Don’t overlook sleeping infants.

• If you see a child alone in a vehicle, get involved. Call 911 immediately.

• Consider using drive-thru or curbside services (restaurants, banks, pharmacies, dry cleaners, etc.) when available.