Crisp County first responders see rise in locked hot car calls

CORDELE, Ga. — As the Summer heat continues to roll on, Crisp County first responders have been answering an uptick in calls of children and small animals left behind and locked in people’s cars.

County Public Information Officer, Haley Wade says it’s unfortunately been common.

Wade tells us, “It’s not safe for your child, pet, or even adults. We want you to be careful, look before you lock. Keep you vehicle locked and keep your keys out of your children’s hands. Sometimes kids want to play, like they’re driving the car, access the vehicle and lock the door.”

While not a new problem by any stretch, it’s still incredibly dangerous as temperatures in the car can be nearly 20 degrees higher than they are outside the car.

Wade says that this can be made even worse with higher temperatures coming to our area.

She says, “I mean when we’re talking about a full week of heat index values as high as 102, we definitely want to give them that extra reminder to look before you lock, and really be a god neighbor. Not only with this heat index do you have trouble with internal vehicle temperatures…”

More than anything else, wade says that if you do see a child or animal locked in, don’t hesitate to call first responders.

“If you see a child or a pet unattended, locked in a vehicle, we don’t want that situation to become dire. Each year, dozens of children and untold numbers of pets die in parked vehicles from hyperthermia,” says Wade.

With the worst heat still to come, Wade is hoping that people in all communities are keeping an eye on each other’s cars.