Never Leave Your Child Alone in a Car

Over the past few months, more than twenty children have died while alone in a vehicle, and summer hasn’t even officially begun. Did you know that a child’s body heats up 3 to 5 times faster than an adult’s? It only takes a few short minutes before a child can become dangerously overheated.

Every year, more than 30 children die because they are alone in a car. In just 10 minutes a car’s temperature can increase by 19 degrees – and it continues to rise. There is no evidence that cracking the windows helps prevent the temperature in vehicle interiors from reaching dangerous levels. In fact, sunlight coming through car windows makes the car work like an oven.

Take Action: Help Raise Awareness About Hyperthermia


Safety TipFollow these tips to help prevent child injuries.

* Dial 911 immediately if you see an unattended child in a car. EMS professionals are trained to determine if a child is in trouble.

* Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even with the window slightly open.

* Place a cell phone, PDA, purse, briefcase, gym bag or whatever is to be carried from the car on the floor in front of a child in a backseat. This triggers adults to see children when they open the rear door and reach for their belongings.

* Set your cell phone or Blackberry reminder to be sure you dropped your child off at day care.

* Set your computer calendar program, such as Outlook, to ask, “Did you drop off at daycare today?”

* Have a plan that if your child is late for daycare that you will be called within a few minutes. Be especially careful if you change your routine for dropping off little kids at day care.

* Teach children not to play in any vehicle.

* Lock all vehicle doors and trunk after everyone has exited the vehicle – especially at home. Keep keys out of children’s reach. Cars are not playgrounds or babysitters.

* Check vehicles and trunks FIRST if a child goes missing.

http://www.safekids.org/safety-basics/safety-spotlight/hyperthermia/

What a great post. I have known for years that a little one gets hot faster than we do. It don't take a lot to cause Hyperthermia in children. I guess because my kids were little back in the day when we did not all have cell phones and outlook calenders I am set on Auto pilot when little ones are in my care.

Dogs, too. It is a felony to leave a dog unattended in a hot car. I have called the police so many times, I wait, throwing ice over the dog thru the little bit of window that is down 2" so many people feel is safe for their pet. For about 25 yrs I have called LE when I have seen children left in a car, winter or summer. Not only could they die, they could be taken.

Of course, animals too.

From what I hear, it is all over the U.S. We need to be extra careful!

It is hotter here in NC than it is in Florida, can you believe it? Takes your breath away.
We had a case a few yrs ago that had a terrible ending. Dad was taking infant to day care, Mom had to go in early. In his own zone the Dad forgot the infant was behind him in the car.Went into work. Day care did not call either parent, just figured the baby was sick. When the dad came out late that afternoon people said that you could prob hear him from miles away, keening, wailing, on the ground crying...it was so sad. He was not charged as it truly was an accident. You know they have never been the same.

I heard about that case up here in NY. What a tragedy.

It just makes me sick to my stomach when I hear of a parent accidently forgetting about their child in the car.

When Logan is in the car with me, I put his diaper bag and activities, juice, etc., in the front passenger seat so that I see it & can give him stuff as he asks for it, but also as a constant reminder that he's there.

lalotobo wrote:It just makes me sick to my stomach when I hear of a parent accidently forgetting about their child in the car.

When Logan is in the car with me, I put his diaper bag and activities, juice, etc., in the front passenger seat so that I see it & can give him stuff as he asks for it, but also as a constant reminder that he's there.

Great idea, esp if the baby is behind the driver's seat like this baby was. For the parent that almost NEVER takes the baby to day care, it would not hurt to have a couple sticky notes, one on horn, one on rear view mirror or a rubber band on his finger, Anything to remind him that precious cargo is in the back seat.

Great Post! I have posted this on my Facebook page. I do not think parents can be reminded enough. We all get into a routine and forget to follow thorough with an added task we normally do not do.

katiedidittwo2 Welcome to Victims Heartland.

katiedidittwo2, Thanks for your Membership and your post! Welcome!

katiedidittwo2 wrote:Great Post! I have posted this on my Facebook page. I do not think parents can be reminded enough. We all get into a routine and forget to follow thorough with an added task we normally do not do.

Glad to see you here at VH. :groupwave:

frogs wrote:I heard about that case up here in NY. What a tragedy.

Ribbit.
Yes Frogs,, it was a sad case. I have heard the parents have since broken up.

lalotobo wrote:It just makes me sick to my stomach when I hear of a parent accidently forgetting about their child in the car.

When Logan is in the car with me, I put his diaper bag and activities, juice, etc., in the front passenger seat so that I see it & can give him stuff as he asks for it, but also as a constant reminder that he's there.

That is another good idea!!!!!!!!

THIS IS A TRUE STORY:
I am in the Real Estate field, so I know the story first hand it was not in the papers. (I was not there - thank God)

One of my agents took a client out to show them an apartments. She liked one and had to come back to meet the owner. it wasn't high rise apartment building just a privet home and the owners in privet homes want to always MEET the tenant.
the agent took her in to meet the owner and when he asked her so where are your kids she said in the car down the block, how old are they he asked and she sad 4 and 7. He rushed her out fast and told her to go watch the kids before they are lost forever.
She went to get them and returned - the owner said to her "I am sorry, I have decided on another candidate- because if you cant watch your kids, you will certainly neglect the property too".

The agent returned to the office with high hopes that I can fix it, and call the landlord myself.
I asked that he bring the lady into my office so he did. I gave her a piece of my mind in a very nice way and then told her that I honor that owner and will not call him. BUT I hope that she will send him a thank you note. SHE DID, and only then did I agree to let the agent take her out and find her new digs.

Love the "bump".

Jun. 3, 2013


Hezekiah Brooks, 2, went missing about 2:30 p.m. Sunday near Hermey Avenue in the Warrington area.
Written by
From staff reports

THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED: Toddler had wandered out of the house and into the floor of a car, says the family deeply grieving the little boy who died Sunday.

A missing Escambia County boy was found dead near his home Sunday evening after an exhaustive search of the area, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office.

Hezekiah Brooks, 2, went missing about 2:30 p.m. Sunday near Hermey Avenue in the Warrington area, the release stated. The Klass Kids Foundation, the Escambia County Search and Rescue and the Coast Guard all participated in the search.

He was later found hours later unresponsive on the floorboards of a car and efforts to resuscitate him failed, the release stated.

An official cause of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner’s Office at a later date.

http://www.pnj.com/article/20130603/NEWS01/306030012/Missing-2-year-old-found-dead-in-car?nclick_check=1
What a beautiful little boy!!!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2335244/Mystery-2-year-old-boy-Hezekiah-Brooks-dead-backseat-car-near-Florida-home.html

Print By Michael Dumas | mdumas@al.com
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on June 04, 2013 at 9:23 AM

PENSACOLA, Florida – John Andrews, grandfather of deceased toddler Hezekiah Brooks, said he failed his 2-year-old “little champion,” who was found dead in Andrews’ car after an exhaustive search on Sunday, June 2.

In an interview with the Pensacola News-Journal on Tuesday, Andrews shared the first details about his grandson’s tragic death, which seems to have come from an unfortunate chain of events after he and Andrews were watching TV and having lunch Sunday afternoon.

“He was a wonderful, beautiful little boy. He came to me for protection,” Andrews said. “And I failed him.”

According to the 47-year-old, the boy walked out of the room they were having lunch in, to go see his grandmother, Deborah. Hezekiah and his two sisters live with the couple, the article said.

About five minutes later the toddler was gone, and even after search teams including the Klass Kids Foundation, Escambia County Search and Rescue, the Coast Guard and neighbors scoured the area, it was Andrews who found him in the backseat of his car, it said.

As evening fell on Sunday, the article states, the grandfather got into his Buick to get the searchers some water from the store. When he looked into the backseat, he found Hezekiah unresponsive on the floorboard, it said.

Efforts to revive the boy were unsuccessful, and the results of a Monday evening autopsy have not yet been released.

On Monday Michelle Salzman, Hezekiah's cousin by marriage, started a memorial fund "asking for donations to help with the cost of memorial services."
Donations here: http://www.gofundme.com/34qbm8 OMG, what a doll baby!!

http://blog.al.com/live/2013/06/grandfather_said_he_failed_2-y.html

OMG that poor child AND grandfather!!!!! So sad!

Hezekiah Brooks, who went missing on a 92-degree day and was found four hours later on the floorboards of his grandfather’s car with the windows rolled up died of heatstroke.