Firefighters Train To Evacuate Children Left In Hot Cars

 
SAN BERNARDINO (CBS) — It's been 3 years since a child in Southern California died from heat problems associated with being left in a car.

Local fire departments want to prolong that statistic by preparing crews to rescue children left in vehicles during hot weather.

Emergency workers put on a demonstration in San Bernardino Tuesday to show how quickly a car can heat up in the summer sun.

In the sun the temperature was 106 degrees Fahrenheit  in downtown San Bernardino. And, the interior of a silver-colored car heated up to 148 degrees within 15 minutes of sitting in a sun-drenched parking lot. Locked in a car at those temperatures can kill anybody.

But, kids tend to be the ones left in cars by distracted caregivers.

One tip San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department passed along: put something of value that you know you will retrieve, like a cell phone or a purse, next to your child in the backseat.