Fire safety

In January, a new California law went into effect that prohibits leaving children younger than age 6 unattended in vehicles. The law, known as "Kaitlyn's Law," was named after a 6-month-old Riverside girl died one hot summer day after accidentally being left inside a car by her babysitter. The law is intended to prevent other young children from suffering in a similar tragedy. National estimates state that between 1996 and 2000, at least 120 children died from heat stroke after being left behind in a parked car either by a parent or a caregiver. In some cases, adults left children in vehicles either knowingly or unknowingly. ACTING CHIEF ROGER SMITH Others occurred when a child crawled into an unlocked car while playing and became trapped inside. Many parents and caregivers are simply not aware of the risk. Extreme heat affects infants and small children disproportionately. When left inside a hot vehicle, a child's core body temperature can increase three to five times faster than that of an adult. Even with the window open slightly, if the outside temperature is 93 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature inside a car can exceed 125 degrees in only 20 minutes. A car is not a toy, a playground or a babysitter! Never leave your child unattended in a car even for a few minutes. It can be fatal. SAFETY TIPS On days that seem almost mild as well as hot summer days parents need to be vigilant about their children's safety in and around a car.