It’s every parent’s nightmare, and yet it’s more common than you might think: locking a child in a car is an unfortunate accident, but is also a problem that can be fixed quickly when the right steps are taken. This often happens when a parent changes their routine, taking on chauffeuring responsibilities and experiencing a lapse in memory about who is in their car. In extreme weather conditions, hypothermia or heat stroke can lead to death. To diminish the possibility of this tragedy, PAL Saves Kids is a free community program that rescues children from locked cars 24/7 at no cost to the parent or caretaker. Pop-A-Lock founded this program, in tandem with law enforcement, that focuses on prevention and education, not blame. Since its founding in 1991, PAL Saves Kids has rescued over 350,000 children from locked cars.
When it comes to saving kids from locked cars, Pop-A-Lock recommends taking a few preventative steps to ensure a child’s utmost safety.
Strategically Place Possessions in Your Car
Placing your child’s favorite toy in the front seat will remind you your kid is in the back, and placing your briefcase or purse in the backseat will remind you the kid is there when you go to get it later. This will help you know a child is in the car so you don’t accidentally park the car and lock someone in.
Call the Police
A child in a locked car has precious minutes before they begin to experience heatstroke or other lethal ailments. If you lock a child in a car or encounter one who is accidentally stuck, start by calling the police. Give exact locations, stay with the child, and take note of the child’s physical state to report that information. Through the community program PAL Saves Kids, children will be rescued at no cost.
Block the Sun
Cars can quickly heat up, especially in the summertime, and this can prove deadly for a child locked in an increasingly hot car. As you await the police to arrive, block out the sun however you are able: stand between the car and the direct sunlight to cast a shadow, and invite passersby to do the same to protect the child.
Keep an Eye on the Child
Look for signs of heatstroke. Bright red or flushed cheeks are a telltale sign, as are deliriousness and lethargy. Children may also be confused while suffering from heatstroke, and they may even begin vomiting. Children will be dehydrated in this state, which means when they are rescued from the car they will need to be in a cool place drinking water to recover. It is also a good idea to send the child to an emergency room so they can be properly taken care of and medically observed until safe for release.
Contact a Locksmith
As a last resort, should the police not show up, you will want to contact an emergency locksmith so that security professionals can get into the car without breaking the window and further hurting the child. These trained locksmiths will have the equipment needed to get into the vehicle; just be sure to tell the company what kind of car the child is in so they know what tools they may need.
The Security Professionals is heavily invested in PAL Saves Kids, a community program dedicated to saving kids from locked cars and accident prevention. We can all work together to share valuable, life-saving information; get in touch with The Security Professionals today to learn more!