Safe Kids Launches Awards Program for Child Heat Stroke Prevention

"Badge of Courage" Recognizes Officials and Private Citizens

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Safe Kids USA today announced a new recognition program for emergency and public safety officials and private citizens who take action to prevent unattended child fatalities from heat stroke in vehicles.

The first awards, known as the Safe Kids Buckle Up (SKBU) Badge of Courage, were presented to Safe Kids coalitions in seven states (Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas) which conducted intensified heat stroke prevention programs in 2011.

The recognition program will be implemented nationally through more than 600 Safe Kids affiliated coalitions and chapters throughout the U.S. at the beginning of the hot weather season in 2012. More than 10,000 professionals, including nurses, doctors, police officers and firefighters are involved with the coalitions and chapters.

The new activity was announced here at the 2011 Safe Kids National Conference, where over 300 Safe Kids Coordinators from across the country convened to support the mission to eliminate unintentional injury to children.

The awards are an extension of the SKBU's Never Leave Your Child Alone program. SKBU is Safe Kids' comprehensive child passenger safety program, which has been sponsored by the General Motors Foundation since it was launched in 1997.

"An average of 38 children die from heat stroke each year while unattended by an adult in a vehicle," said Kate Carr, Safe Kids President. "We also estimate from anecdotal evidence and limited data sources that there are thousands of near misses each year when children are left alone and the caregivers return just in time to prevent a tragedy, a bystander takes direct action to rescue the child, or emergency services are called to rescue the child.

"The purpose of our awards program," Carr said, "is to call attention to the need for all of us to take action if we see an unattended child in a vehicle and to acknowledge those who step in to save a child's life.  While we strongly believe the outstanding grassroots awareness campaigns led by multiple groups were very helpful this year, we need to continue educating the public about this hazard and make further progress in eliminating it."

To date, 2011 has had the lowest number of hyperthermia deaths, 28, since records have been kept in 1998.  This is significant headway from last year, which had the highest number of hyperthermia deaths with 49 confirmed cases.

In particular, the Safe Kids Texas task force on heat stroke prevention has done an exceptional job spreading the word to the public through their dozens of events, including one with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regional office and the launch of the national Never Leave Your Child Alone campaign in March.  Additionally, the Texas task force placed several heat stroke prevention billboards across the state and proactively spoke with the media on a regular basis.  Texas leads the national with the highest number of hyperthermia deaths; however, there have been six deaths in Texas this year, which is less than half the number in 2010.

Earlier this year, Safe Kids participated in a roundtable on heat stroke prevention led by National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland. "We commend Administrator Strickland's aggressive action and plans for a comprehensive national prevention and education program in 2012. We stand ready to assist this essential effort, in any way, including through the new Badge of Courage program," Carr added.

Dr. Norman Collins, who lost his grandson to heat stroke in May and now works as a child safety advocate with Safe Kids, expressed support for the new initiative and said, "Whereas this journey has not been easy, it has yielded several positives, including bringing to the forefront the awareness of the need for education regarding child safety in and around cars."

About Safe Kids USA
Safe Kids USA is part of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the leading cause of death and disability to children ages 1 to 14. More than 600 coalitions and chapters across the U.S. and 20 member countries across the globe bring together health and safety experts, educators, corporations, foundations, governments and volunteers to educate and protect families.  For more information visit www.safekids.org.

About the General Motors Foundation and Safe Kids Buckle Up
Beginning in 1997, General Motors and the GM Foundation have served as Safe Kids Buckle Up's exclusive funding source and helped build the program into a multifaceted national initiative, bringing motor vehicle safety messages to children and families through community and dealer partnerships.  To date, more than 21 million people have been exposed to Safe Kids Buckle Up events and community outreach efforts. Certified child passenger safety technicians working through Safe Kids coalitions have examined 1.4 million child safety seats at 73,576 events and the program has donated 510,000 seats to families in need.

SOURCE Safe Kids Worldwide