About Safe Kids Val Verde
Safe Kids Val Verde County, led by Val Verde Regional Medical Center, is one of ten local Safe Kids coalitions in Texas that brings together health and safety experts, educators, non-profit organizations, foundations, local and state governmental agencies, parents & caregivers, and community citizens to prevent childhood injuries.
Working in partnership with Safe Kids Worldwide since 1998, Safe Kids Val Verde County aims to reduce unintentional childhood injuries through a multifaceted strategy of public awareness, public policy, education, and community action.
Safe Kids Val Verde County invites our community members to join us in our efforts to keep children safe. Contact Lupita Castillo, the Safe Kids Val Verde County Coordinator, at 830-282-5677, or by emailing guadalupe.castillo@vvrmc.org
Val Verde Regional Medical Center Safety Advocates Highlight Dangers of Child Heatstroke Deaths in Hot Cars
Safe Kids Val Verde reminds community to never leave a child alone in a car.
So far this year, at least 16 children have died from heatstroke while unattended in vehicles in states across the country. Three of those children were from Texas.
To learn more safety tips, visit safekids.org/heatstroke.
Many people are shocked to learn how hot the inside of a car can actually get. On an 80-degree day, the temperature inside of a car can rise 20 degrees in as little as 10 minutes and keep getting hotter with each passing minute. And cracking the window doesn't help.
Heatstroke sets in when the body isn't able to cool itself quickly enough. A child's body heats up three to five times faster than an adult's, making them more susceptible to heatstroke. When a child's internal temperature reaches 104 degrees, major organs begin to shut down, and when that temperature reaches 107 degrees, the child can die.
To help prevent these tragedies, Safe Kids, with the support of the General Motors Foundation, created Never Leave Your Child Alone in a Car (NLYCAC) as part of its Buckle Up program, a national initiative established 17 years ago to keep children and families safe in and around cars.
Together, we can reduce the number of deaths and near misses by remembering to ACT.
- A: Avoid heatstroke-related injury and death by never leaving your child alone in a car, not even for a minute. And make sure to keep your car locked when you're not in it so kids don't get in on their own.
- C: Create reminders by putting something in the back of your car next to your child such as a briefcase, a purse or a cellphone that is needed at your final destination. This is especially important if you're not following your normal routine.
- T: Take action. If you see a child alone in a car, call 911. 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, contact 830.282.5677 or please visit safekids.org/heatstroke.