The heat is rolling in and the Reno Police Department wants to remind everyone to never leave your animals, kids or elderly people in your car when it's hot.
They say when temperatures hit 90 degrees the inside of your car can heat up to 110 degrees in just 10 minutes with the windows rolled up.
That is far too hot to be leaving people, pets or things in your car.
“If you need to run errands and you have kids or animals in the vehicle, make sure there is an adult available in the vehicle, windows are rolled down and you’re parked in a shaded area and if you do have to run an errand try to run a quick errand,” said Officer Hunter Mercurio, the Recruiting Officer for the Reno Police Department.
Officer Mercurio says the best course of action if you are running errands is to leave your kids and animals at home in the AC with supervision during the warmer months.
He explains that leaving your kid in the car unattended, depending on the circumstances, can be considered child neglect, a crime.
He says it's not just leaving living things in your car that you have to think about during the summer months.
“This summer with crime trends if you’re going on any kind of a hike or if you’re leaving your car unattended just make sure you keep those personal belongings tucked away under the seats, in glove boxes, not in plain view where people can do vehicle break-ins,” he said.
Reno Police also advise the community to look out for heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
If you see someone wo appears disoriented, having anxiety or panicking, they may have symptoms.
“If you can bring ice packs or ice on their necks, under their armpits, cool them off as quickly as possible and if they are experiencing heat stroke it’s never a bad idea to have paramedics come and check them out and make sure they’re ok.” Officer Mercurio said.
“For this summer stay safe make sure you’re drinking plenty of water," he said. "Look out for each other and if you do see any child or animal left unattended in a vehicle, especially with the windows rolled up, please call 911 as soon as possible so we can get them the help they need.”
