“It’s protecting people who act as a Good Samaritan in these types of situations,” Springfield Police Chief Stephen Moody said. “Certainly we’d want people before they take such action to call 9-1-1.”
It can happen in a matter of minutes, while a parent walks away from their car.
“Busy parents, parents that work third shift and are up in the morning getting ready for school, I can definitely see it happen,” said Laura Kano, of New Lebanon.
The new law does have some limitations.
The person must call 9-1-1, must check to see if the door is unlocked and must be able to prove the child or pet is in danger.
In the U.S. already, 10 children have died from heatstroke inside a car — two in the last week.
Jessica Saunders, director of Center for Child Health and Wellness at Dayton Children’s Hospital, said it doesn’t have to be 90-degree weather for a hot car to be dangerous.
“Even on a 70-degree day, temperatures inside of a car can reach a level that could cause death in a child,” Saunders said. “If a child’s temperature reaches 107 degrees, that’s the danger zone where their body begins to shut down.”
Storm Center 7 Meteorologist Brett Collar said temperatures are predicted to reach the upper 80s the next few days, warmer than normal.
Using an air temperature device to measure the rising heat inside a car, Collar said a vehicle’s temperature reaches 120 degrees while sitting in the sun during 70-degree weather.
“After about 10 minutes in 90-degree heat, we’ll be approaching 110 degrees,” Collar said. “After about an hour, over 130 degrees.”
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