Omaha, NE

... National Weather Service heat awareness day is may 24, 2013...

Child vehicular heatstroke awareness and prevention safety
guidance for 2013:

Temperatures inside vehicles can rapidly heat to lethal levels
during any season. Noaa's NWS is seeking assistance from the media
to help educate the public about the danger of leaving children
unattended in vehicles.

The start of the heat season for most of the country is about a month
away, but it is not too early to be concerned about the danger of
leaving children or pets unattended in vehicles. In fact, studies
show that heatstroke can occur on days with relatively mild
temperatures, about 70 degrees.

This year, NWS is partnering with the National Highway traffic safety
administration (nhtsa) to heighten child vehicular heatstroke
awareness and prevention.

Heatstroke in vehicles is the leading cause of all non-crash-
related fatalities involving children 14 and younger (61 percent).
Each year children die from excessive heat as a result of being
left enclosed in parked vehicles, sometimes intentionally but
most times unintentionally. Since 1998, an average of 38 children
per year, or about one every 10 days, have died in automobiles as
a result of heatstroke.

The nhtsa and NWS offer the following safety guidelines to help avoid
tragic deaths of babies and Young children:

1. Never leave a child or Young children unattended in a vehicle
... Not even for a minute.

2. If you see a child unattended in a vehicle, call 9-1-1.

3. Check to make sure seating surfaces and equipment (child
safety seat and safety belt buckles) are not hot when securing
your child in a safety restraint system in a car that has been
parked in the heat.

4. Be sure that all occupants leave the vehicle when
unloading. Do not Overlook sleeping babies or pets.

5. Always lock your car and ensure children do not have access to
Keys or remote entry devices. If a child is missing,
always check the car first--including the trunk. Teach your
children that vehicles are never to be used as a play area.

6. As a visual reminder keep a stuffed animal in the car seat,and,
when the child is placed in the seat, place the animal in the
front with the driver.

7. Place your purse or briefcase in the back seat as a
reminder that you have your child in the car.

8. Have a plan that your childcare provider will call you if
your child does not show up for childcare.

9. Use the slogan "beat the heat, check the backseat", or
"where's baby? Look before you lock" to educate the public.

Remember--never leave a child in an unattended vehicle!

Children are much more sensitive to rising temperatures than
adults so pay close attention to the above tips during all
seasons.

NWS and nhtsa offer outreach and media toolkits as follows:
nhtsa's "get involved" and "where's baby?" Media templates and
other materials:

Www.Safercar.Gov/parents/heat-involved.Htm
nws's "beat the heat, check the back seat" logos can be
downloaded from the following heat safety web site:

Www.NWS.NOAA.Gov/om/heat/index.Shtml

Or more information, please contact:

Jannie g. Ferrell
email: jannie.G.Ferrell@noaa.Gov
phone: 301-713-1867 x135

Also refer to our local website at:
http://www.Crh.NOAA.Gov/oax/?N=heatsafety