CPD warns residents to “Look Before You Lock”
On average, 37 children die each year from heat-related deaths after being trapped inside a vehicle. This is a number the Calhoun Police Department would like to see drastically reduced, if not completely eliminated.
On a typical summer day, the temperature inside a vehicle can quickly rise above 130 degrees. Even on a relatively mild day, the temperature inside a vehicle can get above 100 degrees. At those temperatures, kids are at a high risk of dehydration, heat stroke, seizures and even death. When a child becomes trapped in a hot vehicle, it takes only minutes for their core body temperature to rise to 105 degrees.
It may seem impossible that a parent or caregiver could forget a child sleeping inside a vehicle, but as we have seen, it can and has happened. Our memory sometimes needs visual reminders, so the Calhoun Police Department would like to offer these tips:
-Place one of your shoes in the backseat with the child so you must grab it before leaving your vehicle,
-Or place the child’s diaper bag or backpack in the front seat as a reminder the child is still in the vehicle.
Captain Tony Pyle said, “We encourage parents and caregivers to use the tips we’ve provided, and to also work on other, more personal ideas and to implement these ideas as part of their daily routine.”