Fire Department urges parents to stay alert

The Fire Department Suriname (KBS) is urging parents to stay alert when leaving their children alone in their car. Fire Department spokesman Olton Pinas told Times of Suriname that parents must stay alert especially with the extreme heat. “Parents often leave their child(ren) alone in the car when they want to do some quick shopping in a store. If the engine is running and if the windows are closed, it is possible that the car could close automatically. This could cause the child to panic and suffer oxygen loss. “If the child is very young, he or she can’t open the doors and could have difficulty breathing,” said Pinas who added that sometimes parents shut down the car engine but leave the car keys in the ignition. If the windows are closed the children must not be left alone in the car because they could also have trouble breathing. The Fire Department has already come across such a case and managed to rescue the child though swift action. Pinas advises parents not to leave their children alone in the car, even if the engine is running or not.