Emergency officials urge parents to be aware of children in hot vehicles

BAY COUNTY, Fla. ( WMBB ) – The first day of school for most of our counties is Monday, August 12. Since it’s still going to be extremely hot outside, authorities are urging parents to be aware of the children and pets that are riding in the car.

One mistake can lead to disaster and tragedy. Heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion and heat strokes can happen within minutes of being locked in a car. Sometimes, those situations can be fatal.

“Depending on the temperature outside cars, you can reach the temperature inside the vehicles can reach dangerous levels within 5 minutes, within 10 minutes,” Bay County EMS Chief Medical Examiner Jessica Lundeen said.

Florida had the second-most hot car deaths in the nation last year, with 7 deaths. Lundeen says permanent neurological damage can happen to a child within minutes.

“Even if the child is left in the vehicle long enough to where they don’t necessarily die, but that could cause them some detrimental effects neurologically, which could be bad for them for the rest of their life,” Lundeen said.

She recommends parents place a purse or wallet in the back seat to remind themselves that their child is back there.

County officials aren’t just warning residents about the dangers of leaving children in the car, but pets as well.

“Even though pets are able to sustain more heat than children or adults do, it’s still that it’s could still be detrimental to them. You know, it could cause them to become dehydrated and cause issues for the animals as well as being left in hot vehicles,” Lundeen said.

Officials say parents should be extra careful with the start of the new school year.

“You know, it’s a busy time of the year. Kids are going back to school. You’re getting into a different routine. You’ve had the summer off, but just making sure that you get back into that normal school routine and making sure your kids are taken care of,” Lundeen added.

Officials also want to remind residents to practice general heat safety, like staying hydrating and limiting time spent outdoors.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to mypanhandle.com.