Local officials and advocates gathered at the Estero Fire Department Wednesday to raise awareness on National Heatstroke Prevention Day about the most vulnerable victims of heatstroke: children left inside cars.
Firefighters held a mock demonstration showing their protocol for saving the life a child dying of heatstroke after being left in a car.
In just 20 minutes, a parked car can become so hot it’s lethal for a child.
Mike Carroll, the Suncoast regional director for the Department of Children and Families, said many times children are simply forgotten in a car, which can result in a tragic death.
“If a person is particular stressed about something in the family, particularly stressed by anything in their life, particularly preoccupied—they might be on the phone—during a visit, they drive right past the day care forget the child is in the car,” he explained. “That is the most common cause of children forgetting children in the car.”
Carroll said so far this year five children have died in Florida of heatstroke after being left in a car. He said there have been many more near misses.
In ten minutes the temperature inside a car can rise 20 degrees. In an hour, it can rise almost 50 degrees.
Carroll said parents should create a habit of checking the backseat every time they leave the car.
“While it’s easy to forget, we can’t afford to forget that children are in cars,” Carroll said. “So, we really do need to create ourselves reminders that will cause us to check the backseat.”
He suggested putting your purse or briefcase in the backseat every day.
