Legislators: Child-alarm requirement would save lives

Sometimes it can take a while for the Florida Legislature to do the right thing — even when it comes to saving the lives of children.

For at least a decade, state lawmakers have been filing legislation that would require day-care vehicles to be equipped with alarms to alert drivers when a child has been left inside. For four straight years, Sen. Stewart has sponsored the legislation — and she passed it out of the Senate by a 38-1 vote in 2019 only to see it derailed by the House. But we’re not giving up, and we’re hoping this is the year the Legislature finally does the right thing to protect children by passing our legislation.

The consequences of the failure to act in Tallahassee have been deadly. Sen. Stewart took up this effort in 2017 after 3-year-old Myles Hill of Orlando died of heatstroke after being left in the back of a day-care van for seven hours.

In 2018, 4-year-old Logan Starlite of Orlando was left in the back of a day-care van and died. In 2019, 2-year-old Noah Sneed was left alone for five hours in a Broward County day-care van and died.

Tragically, these are not isolated cases. Between 1998 and this year, Florida has the second-highest number of child deaths from vehicular heatstroke. Three of the 24 children who died in 2020 from heatstroke in vehicles nationwide were from Florida. Every one of these children has a name and a grieving family.

Our legislation, SB 252 and HB 1287, is a straightforward attempt to save lives. The Child Alarm Safety Act would require more than 1,500 child-care providers in the state that transport children to equip their vehicles with alarm systems alerting the driver if a child is still inside. The current system that relies on a paper checklist to keep track of children who are being transported is obviously inadequate, and it is past time to take action.

This is no different from other reasonable measures state government takes to protect young children who depend on adults for their safety, such as requiring barriers around residential swimming pools.

Requiring these child-safety alarms in day-care vehicles would not put an undue burden on the facilities.

The Department of Children and Families would adopt safety standards for reliable alarm systems and keep a list of manufacturers and systems approved to be installed in the vehicles. The cost is not unreasonable; the state estimates one alarm would cost between $130 and $156, plus installation. The total bill: Roughly $600 at most.

That’s a small price to pay to save the lives of children. It also pales in comparison to the risk of losing the day-care business and facing criminal charges if a child is left in a day-care van and dies.

The Child Safety Alarm Act already is moving forward in the Senate and has passed two committees. As Sen. Stewart told the Senate Transportation Committee, “This is not the first time you have heard this bill. I’m hoping it’s the last time.”

Florida families should not have to wait any longer for the Legislature to act and approve this reasonable effort to protect our children.