Oklahoma First Responders Rescue At Least 45 Children From Hot Cars In June And July

As Oklahoma remains under a heat advisory. It's dangerously hot for all of us, but kids are especially at risk. Paramedics say they have responded to five cases of children locked in cars since Sunday and 40 incidents in June. Those numbers are staggering

Wednesday, July 10th 2019, 5:46 pm

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Oklahoma First Responders Rescue At Least 45 Children From Hot Cars In June And July

As Oklahoma remains under a heat advisory. It's dangerously hot for all of us, but kids are especially at risk.

Paramedics say they have responded to five cases of children locked in cars since Sunday and 40 incidents in June. Those numbers are staggering, and first responders say July is the worst month.

That’s why the Oklahoma City Fire Department and AAA staged a re-enactment to show what happens when someone comes across a child left in a hot car.

“We don’t hesitate, we don’t slow down,” explained Major David Meyer with the Oklahoma City Fire Department. “We aren’t trying to conserve anybody’s property. It’s all about the life and safety and the child.”

Last year, there were a record number of deaths across the United States. Two of those were in Oklahoma. According to the Safe Kids Coalition, most of the time children are forgotten about in a car due to a change in routine.

“This has happened to people with a very high education, professions, people who are very responsible parents otherwise,” said Leslie Gamble with the AAA.

That's why experts recommend you put your phone, a shoe or brief case in the back seat as a reminder. Temperatures can get dangerously hot quickly and doctors say a child's organs shut down beginning when their internal temperature reaches 104 degrees.

“Children are not small adults, they cannot tolerate heat like adults do,” explains Laura Gamino the Oklahoma City coordinator of Safe Kids.

If you see a child in a car call 911 immediately. Oklahoma Law protects you if you decide to break the window yourself.

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