Summer Safety
Heat
Pre-hydrant before outdoor or long warm weather events.
- Take frequent breaks inside or in the shade to cool down.
- Wear sunscreen, a hat, and lightweight clothing.
- Be aware of signs and symptoms of heat related illnesses.
Child Heat Stroke Prevention
A child's body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult's. When a child is left in a vehicle, that child's temperature can rise quickly — and the situation can quickly become dangerous. A car can heat up 19 degrees in just 10 minutes. And cracking a window doesn’t help.
- Look before you lock: Make it a habit to check your entire vehicle, especially the back seat, before locking the doors and walking away.
- Keep a personal item in the back seat. Create reminders. Keep a stuffed animal or other memento in your child’s car seat when it’s empty and move it to the front seat as a visual reminder when your child is in the back seat. Or place and secure your phone, briefcase or purse in the backseat when traveling with your child.
- Never leave a child in a vehicle unattended for any length of time. Rolling windows down or parking in the shade does little to change the interior temperature of the vehicle.
Estimated Vehicle Interior Air Temperature v. Elapsed Time
0 minutes | 70 Degrees F | 75 Degrees F | 80 Degrees F | 85 Degrees F | 90 Degrees F | 95 Degrees F |
10 minutes | 89 Degrees F | 94 Degrees F | 99 Degrees F | 104 Degrees F | 109 Degrees F | 114 Degrees F |
20 minutes | 99 Degrees F | 104 Degrees F | 109 Degrees F | 114 Degrees F | 119 Degrees F | 124 Degrees F |
30 minutes | 104 Degrees F | 109 Degrees F | 114 Degrees F | 119 Degrees F | 124 Degrees F | 129 Degrees F |
40 minutes | 108 Degrees F | 113 Degrees F | 118 Degrees F | 123 Degrees F | 128 Degrees F | 133 Degrees F |
50 minutes | 111 Degrees F | 116 Degrees F | 121 Degrees F | 126 Degrees F | 131 Degrees F | 136 Degrees F |
60 minutes | 113 Degrees F | 118 Degrees F | 123 Degrees F | 128 Degrees F | 133 Degrees F | 138 Degrees F |
> 1 hour | 115 Degrees F | 120 Degrees F | 125 Degrees F | 130 Degrees F | 135 Degrees F | 140 Degrees F |
Courtesy Jan Null, CCM; Department of Geosciences, San Francisco State University
Pets
- Pets are just as likely to suffer from heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
- Don’t leave pets in a vehicle.
- Provide pets with plenty of water, bring a travel bowl and/or water for your pet(s).
- Plan and find establishments that are pet friendly.
Grilling/Recreational Fires
Each year, the fire service responds to an estimated 6,500 grill fires. These fires account for 150 civilian injuries, less than 5 civilian deaths, and $27.6 million in property loss.
- Never grill indoors.
- Always supervise your grill or recreational fire.
- Observe city’s ordinances. Best practice is keeping recreational fires 15 feet from any structure.
- Keep recreational fires smaller than three feet wide and two feet high.
- Keep children three feet away from grills or fire pits.
Water Safety
Every day, an average of 11 people die in the U.S. from unintentional drowning — and one in five of those are children 14 or younger according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Provide constant, active adult supervision or water watcher to observe activities and respond to emergencies.
- Never swim alone.