Never leave a child or pet in a car a closed or parked car on a warm day, even if the windows are cracked. A parked car can rise 20 degrees F (6.7 degrees C) in 10 minutes.
During heat waves, check on people at risk for heat-related injury such as the elderly and disabled or homebound people. Parents and caretakers of the elderly should ensure that assisted living facilities, skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes, and private homes are equipped with adequate cooling system units.
The symptoms of heatstroke are different for many individuals and may resemble other medical conditions, therefore frequent check-ins increase a caregiver’s chance of seeing subtle changes in a person’s condition.
On average 39 children under the age of 15 die from heatstroke after being left in a vehicle.
This is by far the most common form of mortality due to heat-related injury in children.