What you should do if you see a child in a hot car
PROSPER, Texas - With heat like we are seeing this week in North Texas, just minutes in a hot car could kill a child.
At a demonstration in Prosper Monday, Cook Children's demonstrated what a person should do if they come across a child left in a car, even if the air conditioner is running.
"You see a child in a car, even if you don't know if the air is running or not, that is a 911 call immediately," said Prosper Fire Chief Stuart Blasingame.
A 911 operator would be able to tell you the estimated time of arrival for first responders, but in the end Chief Blasingame says it is a judgment call.
"We would always say leave that to us. From a liability standpoint we can't tell you what to do, you are the one that is seeing that baby and knows how the baby is doing, you have to make a decision for yourself," he said.
Excessive Heat Warning extended through Wednesday as North Texans deal with high temperatures
An Excessive Heat Warning is in place for the Metroplex, meaning it is dangerously hot outside.
The chief says it is never safe to leave kids in the car, even with the air running.
"When you take the keys, a lot of vehicles will turn off as a safety feature. People will be inside thinking I can see the car, not realizing it turned off," Chief Blasingame said.
Dr. Meena Guirguis, a pediatric emergency doctor at Cook Children's in Prosper, says the heat can overtake a child faster than an adult.
"Kids are more at risk, much higher metabolic rate. They are producing heat faster than we are. They have smaller surface body area, and they don't sweat at the same temps like we do. It takes higher temps for them to sweat," Dr. Guirguis said,
Now some car manufacturers are using technology to help prevent children from accidentally being left behind.
"GM was the first to have rear seat reminders. It shows on dashboard, an audible alarm, can't ignore it," said GM spokesman and retired Dallas Police Sergeant Larry Dyer.
Viviana Esparza with Cook Children's says many car seat makers also now have technology that can be linked to an app, but even without any smart devices there are still a few simple things you can do.
"Put something in the back, cell phone, wallet, shoe, not that we love them more, but we have more practice with those items," said Esparza.
Heat can cause a child's body to shut down three to five times faster than an adult's body would.
Learn more about preventing heatstroke here.