Warning about hot car dangers

As temperatures remain high and hit triple digits, or close to them, first responders are reminding parents about the dangers of leaving children in hot cars.

The alert comes more than a week after a two-year-old from Dallas died of heat stroke when her parents forgot she was in the car.

According to the website, www.kidsandcars.org, an average of 38 children across the country die in hot cars every year. It’s usually because the parents are distracted.

Austin-Travis County EMS tells FOX 7 that after a while in the hot sun, your car can act like an oven. Plus it says that a child’s body overheats three to five times faster than an adult’s body.

"It can become very critical. Very quickly. No one sets out to have this happen. But it does it occur," said Captain Darren Noak, from Austin-Travis County EMS.

To prevent it from happening, Austin-Travis County EMS reminds parents to ACT, which stands for:

- Avoid leaving your kids in the car, even for a minute. Always lock your doors and trunks, even in the driveway to keep kids from getting in to play.
- Create reminders. Place something you'll need next to your child's safety seat, like a briefcase, suit jacket, or shoes. It may seem like common sense, but on a chaotic day-- it's a helpful reminder.
- Take action...if you see a child alone in the car, help.

Again, officials say a lot of this may seem like common sense, but on a chaotic day, they can be helpful reminders.

These suggestions also apply to your pets. Even if the windows are down or the air conditioning is on in the car, animals can get overheated very quickly.

First responders are also remind everyone to stay hydrated and drink a lot of water.