SES warning: Kids and cars don’t mix

By Paul Dunlop
FORECASTS of a sweltering summer have prompted a reminder for parents never to leave children unattended in cars.
A warning of the dangers of doing so came from Pakenham State Emergency Service (SES) last week after rescue crews received three callouts involving youngsters left in vehicles.
Fortunately all were resolved without incident, but SES spokesperson Steve Munro said it was a timely reminder for people to avoid a situation that could have tragic repercussions.
Mr Munro said with the weather warming up, it did not take long for the interior of a car to get above 60 degrees.
“Temperatures like that with little children can have fatal consequences,” he said.
“I’d encourage people not to be irresponsible by leaving their children unattended in their cars, not even for five minutes.
“Even if it’s just to buy the bread, it’s not worth it.”
Mr Munro said last week’s callouts were to Pakenham, Berwick and Narre Warren.
“Two out of these three calls were genuine calls where people had accidentally locked their keys in the car with their kids still inside,” he said.
“For the other job, the car had already left the scene (when rescuers arrived).”
Mr Munro said the issue being highlighted in the media a few years ago following the death of a child left in a car had made people more likely to alert authorities when they saw children unattended in cars.
“We probably get about 10 to 15 calls a year,” he said.
Pakenham SES performs an average of 300 jobs per year attending all types of emergencies from floods and windstorms to road rescues, searches and support and relief roles.