Never Leave A Child Alone In Or Around Vehicles!

The El Cajon Fire Department, along with all the Fire Departments, Paramedics and law enforcement agencies throughout San Diego County, are reminding parents, and caregivers/babysitters to "NEVER" leave a child, the elderly or pets in your vehicle! Year round - but especially during the summer months - temperatures in a vehicle can reach lethal conditions in a matter of moments. We respond to these tragedies!

What seems like "just second or just a minute" actually turns into several minutes, even hours before you realize it. Because of the tragedies - on January 1, 2002 "Kaitlyn's Law" became effective, making it an infraction, punishable by a fine of $100 for any parent, legal guardian, or other person responsible for a child 6 years of age or younger, to leave that child unattended in a motor vehicle without the supervision of someone at least 12 years of age or older. It may be a $100 fine - but the life of a child is priceless!

Please access the following two web sites for more detailed information regarding this and related issues:

4rkidssake.org. or Kids And Cars.

What can and has happened to children left in and around vehicles?

Death or injury from:

Hyperthermia (heat stroke) - being left in a vehicle where the temparatures can reach deadly levels in minutes
Hypothermia (cold)
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Vehicle in Motion - knocking the vehicle into gear and setting the vehicle into motion
Car theft with child inside - being taken by a stranger in the course of a car theft
Kidnapping - being kidnapped from the vehicle
Car Fires - finding matches that set the car aflame
Injuries caused by power windows and sunroofs
Back-overs -being inadvertently backed over in a driveway or parking lot
Strangulation by a power window, sunroof or power accessory
Hopping into a car trunk during an innocent game of hide-and-seek
Or children leaving the vehicle alone to go to the bathroom, or to go looking for you...

Injuries and deaths have also occurred to children who have become trapped inside of a car or trunk after gaining access to an unlocked vehicle or finding the car keys. Always keep car doors locked, even when the car is inside the garage, and place the keys in a location where children cannot reach them.

Children should never be left unattended in or around parked cars. There are just too many risks!

The Statistics - The Precious Lives Loss!

From Kids And Cars - 2003 Hyperthermia Fatalities:
The town, the state, the name and the age:
Since April:
1. 7-Apr - Winter Haven, FL - Devontrius Nelson, 3 yr
2. 25-Apr - Ft Lauderdale, FL - Chelcie Ambrosio, 10 mo
May
3. 13-May - White River, Township, IN - Hanna Johnson, 12 mo
4. 13-May - Lawrenceville, GA Brianna - Williams, 15 mo
June
5. 3-Jun - Lancaster TX - Alan Devon Brown, 2 yr
6. 5-Jun - Las Vegas, NV - Hayden Fish, 7 mo
7. 11-Jun - Orlando, FL - Dominique Royals, 35 mo
8. 16-Jun - North Platte, NE - Jayden Swartwood, 4 yr
9. 18-Jun - Spotsylvania County, VA - Anthony Mazzarella, 3 yr
10. 18-Jun - Austin, TX - Chloe Abbott, 2 yr
11. 25-Jun - Travis County, TX - Allen Basinger, 4 yr
12. 25-Jun - Memphis, TN - Amber Cox-Cody, 2 yr
13. 26-Jun - Tupelo, MS - Daniel Hammock, 8 mo
14. 29-Jun - Tucson, AZ - Alejandra Gutierrez, 6 mo
15. 30-Jun - North Port, FL - Timothy Andrashko, 2 yr
July
16. 8-Jul - Lancaster, CA - Nehemiah Prince, 3 yr
17. 8-Jul - Lancaster, CA - Dakota Prince, 5 yr
18. 10-Jul - Fayetteville, NC - Kenneth Pratt, 2 yr
19. 10-Jul - Nasheville, TN - David Gordon, 22 mo
20. 11-Jul - Hurst, TX - Mafi Manu, 3 yr
21. 14-Jul - Valley Center, KS - Alyssa Dillman, 22 mo
22. 29-Jul - Las Vegas, NV - ShyAnn Rayner, 2 yr
23. 30-Jul - Harlingen, TX - Catherine Vreeland, 2 mo
24. 30-Jul - Mesa, AZ - Taylin Lee, 17 mo
25. 30-Jul - Boise, ID - Kelly Hunter, 2 mo
August
26. 1 Aug - Big Spring, TX - Isaiah Castillo, 4 mo
27. 8 Aug - Irvine, CA - Michael Warschauer, 10 mo
28. 8 Aug - Springdale, AR - Brianna Cordell, 3 yr
29. 12 Aug - El Paso, TX - Kendall Paredes, 14 mo

Stats From 4rkidssake - For 2003: As of August 11, 2003
355 Incidents
Involving 446 Children
Resulting in 87 Fatalities

Cases By Type:
Back-overs - 67 cases, 67 children
Car Entrapment - 1 case, 1 child
Car Fire - 2 cases, 5 children
Car Theft - 53 cases, 62 children
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning - 3 cases, 5 children
Hyperthermia - 27 cases, 31 children
Power Equipment - 1 case, 1 child
Strangulation - 1 case, 1 child

Other Incidents:
Struck by Vehicle - 4 cases, 4 children
Unattended in Car - 130cases, 183 children
Unattended in School Bus/Van - 36 cases, 36 children
Under-age Driver - 2 cases, 2 children
Vehicle in Motion - 26 cases, 46 children

Other:
Fatalities by Type:
39 - Back-over(s)
2 - Car Fire(s)
4 - Carbon Monoxide
28 - Hyperthermia (Includes: 5 Car Entrapment & 1 Trunk Entrapment)
2 - Power Equipment/Strangulation
3 - Struck by Vehicle
9 - Vehicle in Motion