Full Notification

Unfortunately, this time of year brings preventable tragedy when adults leave children in hot vehicles.
                For this reason, the N.C. Department of Insurance and the Office of the State Fire Marshal are hosting a Hot Car event sponsored by the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office and McDowell County Parks & Recreation. It will be held Thursday, Aug. 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the McDowell Recreation Department, 25 Academy St. in Marion.
                There will be free Icees, and the Recreation Department is offering free swimming from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
                Officials from the Department of Insurance and State Fire Marshal’s office will be on hand to demonstrate how quickly the temperature in a car can rise – by cooking s’mores on the dashboard of a vehicle.
               
Did You Know …

• Every year, an average of 39 children across the U.S. die from heat exposure in vehicles.
• Since 1998, 32 children have died in N.C. from being left in a hot vehicle.
• North Carolina ranked 6th in the nation for heatstroke deaths in children under the age of 14.
• Heatstroke deaths of children, as a result of being alone in a vehicle, occur for one of three reasons:

--54% - child was forgotten by parent or caregiver.
              --26% - child was playing in an unattended vehicle and became trapped.
              --19% - child was intentionally left by an adult.

• The temperature inside a vehicle can rise 19 degrees in just 10 minutes.
• A child's body heats up 3 to 5 times faster than an adult’s.
• Every heatstroke death in a vehicle is preventable.

 
Top Safety Tips
Reduce the number of deaths from heatstroke by remembering to ACT.
ACT = Avoid - Create - Take

• 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.
• 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 backseat when traveling with your child.
• 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.