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City of Edina 4801 W. 50th St. Edina, MN 55424
Contact: Kaylin Eidsness, Senior Communications Coordinator
Phone 952-833-9537 Fax 952-826-0389 EdinaMN.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EPD reminds residents to take action if they see a child
locked in a car
Edina, Minn., July 19, 2016 – The Edina Police Department reminds residents not to wait to call 911 if they
see a child locked alone in a car.
“It doesn’t take long for a small child -- especially an infant -- to suffer from heat stroke if left in a car,
especially during the summer months,” said Office Mark Biermaier. “In only 10 minutes, the temperature
inside a vehicle can reach deadly levels even if the outside temperate is in the low 80s.”
Biermaier said the Edina Police Department responds to a handful of calls each month regarding unattended
children left alone in cars. He said once police arrive, they will assess the situation and break the vehicle’s
window if necessary to remove the child from the vehicle. According to the National Traffic Highway Safety
Administration, on average, 37 children die each year from overheating in vehicles.
Even with temperatures in the 60s or 70s, heatstroke poses a serious risk. Once a child’s temperature
reaches 107 degrees, they will die of heatstroke.
“It’s 100 percent preventable,” said Biermaier about children dying from overheating in vehicles. “Parents
should make it a habit to always check their backseat to make sure their children aren’t back there before
leaving their car. Sometimes, parents make an honest mistake and forget a sleeping child in his or her car
seat.”
Parents and caregivers can take the following precautions to prevent heatstroke incidents from occurring:
Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle – even if the windows are partially open or the engine
is running and the air conditioning is on.
Ask the childcare provider to call if the child doesn't show up for care as expected.
Do things that serve as a reminder that a child is in the vehicle, such as placing a phone, purse or
briefcase in the back seat to ensure no child is accidentally left in the vehicle, or writing a note or
using a stuffed animal placed in the driver's view to indicate a child is in the car seat.
Always lock your vehicle when not in use and store keys out of a child’s reach, so children cannot
enter unattended. Teach children that a vehicle is not a play area.
Those who see a child alone in a vehicle should immediately call 911. A child in obvious distress
due to heat should be removed from the vehicle as quickly as possible and rapidly cooled.
For more information, contact the Edina Police Department at 952-826-1610.
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