Help Us Prevent Tragedies

Here’s What Should Be Done:

• Dial 911 immediately. Calmly state the location and description of the vehicle.
• If you observe the child or pet is unresponsive or appears in distress, act quickly and carefully:
  • Remove them from the vehicle by any means necessary*
  • Take them to a cooler location (somewhere with Air Conditioning or shade if AC is unavailable)
  • Remove any clothing from the child to let the heat escape from their body
  • Use cool water or wet rags to cool the skin, or carefully immerse in cool water (not in an ice bath)
• If the child or pet is awake and responsive and not in distress you must:
  • Stay present until help arrives on the scene.
  • Ask a third party to attempt to locate the driver. Consider asking Security, or a Store Manager to page them.

Warning Signs of Heatstroke:

• Hot, flush, or red
• Slow, weak pulse or strong, rapid pulse
• Lethargy, confusion, or strange behavior
• Nausea
• No sweating

There is never a situation in which it is safe to a child alone in a car. Not even for a few minutes. Not even if the car is running.

Since KidsAndCars.org began tracking data, over 900 children have died from heatstroke inside vehicles. 2018 was the worst year in history with a total of 52 children that died in hot cars. Additionally, KidsAndCars.org documented 62 pets that died in hot cars in 2018, though many of these cases go undocumented so the number is likely much higher.