COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner has announced new gas pump inspection stickers that will include a message warning drivers about the dangers of hot cars and children.
“With daily routines changing for children heading back to school coupled with the still very present summer heat, it is imperative for parents and caregivers to be vigilant to protect their precious cargo,” said Commissioner Wilton Simpson in a Friday morning press conference alongside Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey.
Since 2022, 10 children under the age of three years old have died due to being locked or trapped in a hot car, according to the nonprofit advocacy group Kids and Cars Safety.
“Children being trapped in hot cars has become a huge national issue for a number of reasons, but in Florida, the weather you all experience makes educational tools like this invaluable,” said Amber Rollins, the director of the organization.
Local fire rescue departments across Collier County have applauded the move by Simpson and believe it is a great opportunity to raise awareness of these tragic accidents.
“Any sort of education helps. A lot of the issues that we see are simply accidents, and that awareness is essential in protecting our children and animals,” said Heather Mazurkiewicz with the North Collier Fire Rescue Department.
“Temperatures can rise ten, twenty degrees in mere minutes,” added newly appointed City of Naples Fire Rescue Chief Phillip Pennington. “It’s one thing to recognize a problem, but we also implore our residents to call 911 if they see something concerning,” Chief Pennington explained.
While small children are often affected by hot vehicles, domestic animals are unfortunately also frequently in similar situations.
“I, unfortunately, have had to perform autopsies on animals that have died in this way before,” said Dr. John Morton, the Medical Director of the Humane Society of Naples.
“These animals sadly have a painful end, and these types of accidents are so easily preventable,” concluded Dr. Morton.
In order to prevent further incidents, Kids and Cars Safety has a few useful tips:
“Put something you need for your every day in the backseat … a phone, an employee I.D., something along those lines. Then when you leave the car, you make sure to check the backseat,” said Rollins.
The 75,000 stickers are expected to hit the gas stations in Collier County and statewide in the coming weeks.