Contact: Teresa Ann Crisman, Prince
George’s County Fire/EMS Department – 240-508-3960
National, State, and Local Emergency
Services Providers Urge Marylanders to Help Protect Children from Heatstroke on
National Heatstroke Prevention Day with Demonstration in College Park
In support of National
Heatstroke Prevention Day, July 31, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Safe Kids Worldwide,
Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department, College Park Police Department, and
the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) are
asking the public to act to help save lives. Heatstroke is the leading
cause of non-crash related vehicle fatalities for kids 14 and younger in the
United States. Since the beginning of this year, 29 children nationwide
died of heatstroke after being left in a car.
To bring awareness, these agencies will hold a demonstration
of how hot it can get inside a vehicle. The demonstration will take place Tuesday, July 31 from 10:00 – 12:30 pm at
the College Park Police Headquarters, 7569 Baltimore Avenue, College Park, MD
20742. A display that includes a thermometer inside a vehicle and shows the
difference between the temperature inside varies from the outside temperature.
This will show that temperatures inside a vehicle can reach deadly levels in
just 10 minutes, which is why it’s vitally important to never leave a child
alone in a parked car; keep the keys out of a child’s reach and look in both
the front and back of the vehicle before locking the door and walking
away.
In addition to this display, to help raise awareness, on
July 31st, NHTSA is engaging in an all-day social media conversation
designed to inform the public about the dangers that heatstroke can pose to
kids left in cars. Every 30 minutes, starting at 7 a.m. ET, the agency
will be using the hashtags #heatstrokekills and #checkforbaby on
all of its social media posts.
Together, we can cut down the number
of deaths and near misses by remembering to ACT.
A: Avoid heatstroke-related injury
and death by never leaving a child alone in a car, not even for a minute. And
make sure to keep your car locked when you’re not inside so kids don’t get in
on their own.
C: Create reminders. Keep a stuffed
animal or other memento in your child’s car seat when it’s empty and move it to
the front seat as a visual reminder when your child is in the back seat. Or
place and secure your phone, briefcase, or purse in the back seat when traveling
with your child.
T: Take action. If you see a child
alone in a car, call 9-1-1. Emergency personnel want you to call. They are
trained to respond to these situations. One call could save a life.
For more information on preventing child
heatstroke deaths, please visit www.safekids.org/heatstroke
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