MedStar and area emergency services held a demonstration in Fort Worth Friday afternoon about the risk of kids in hot cars.
The demonstration, which provided instructions about getting kids out of locked cars and infant CPR, was held as the summer heat contributes to the kids in hot cars hazard.
According to MedStar, crews have responded to two incidents so far this year where a child was left in a hot car in Texas.
Texas is the state with the most child deaths in hot cars between 1991 and 2019, and seven of the 53 deaths of children in hot cars in 2019 were in Texas.
Even the best of parents and caregivers can unknowingly leave a sleeping baby or child in a car, MedStar said. Here are some tips from MedStar to help keep kids safe:
- Create a reminder to check the back seat. Put something you’ll need like your cell phone, handbag, employee ID or briefcase, etc., in the back seat so that you have to open the back door to retrieve that item every time you park.
- Keep a large stuffed animal in the child’s car seat. When the child is placed in the car seat, put the stuffed animal in the front passenger seat. It’s a visual reminder that the child is in the back seat.
- Keep car keys and remote openers out of reach of children.
- Use technology Apps like WAZE have child reminders when you arrive at a destination you used a phone-based GPS to get to
- If you see a child alone in a vehicle, get involved. Call 911 immediately. If the child seems hot or sick, get them out of the vehicle as quickly as possible.
