Call 911 first
Tell the dispatcher there's a child, or a pet, locked in a vehicle. Give the exact place: the store, the lot, the row, the color and make of the car. Describe what you can see, such as whether the person is awake, moving or responding. Then stay on the line.
The dispatcher can tell you what to do while responders are on the way, including whether it's appropriate to try to open or break a window. Follow what they say. Don't leave the car to look for the owner, and don't hang up to call anyone else.
Why Texas heat makes this urgent
A closed car heats up far faster than people expect, and the inside can get well beyond the temperature outside within minutes. Cracking a window does very little. Even a day that feels mild can turn a parked car into a danger.
Children's bodies heat up faster than an adult's, and animals can't cool themselves the way people do. Warning signs include flushed or very pale skin, heavy panting or drooling, drowsiness, limpness, vomiting, or not responding. Tell the dispatcher what you see.
Nobody should have to judge whether it's hot enough to matter. If a child or an animal is alone in a closed car and you can't get to them, that's already enough to call.
While you wait for help
Stay beside the car, and keep the child or animal in sight. Try every door in case one was left unlocked. If you're at a store, ask staff to page the owner, but do it in parallel with the 911 call, not instead of it. If you can talk to a child through the glass, keep them calm and awake.
This applies if the car is your own and the keys are inside, too. A running engine or an air conditioner doesn't change it. Engines stall and fuel runs out, and the person is still locked in.
After everyone is safe
Once the emergency is over, if the keys are still inside and the car is still locked, that's an ordinary lockout. TRA opens vehicles, and a lockout is from $50, plus a $19 dispatch fee charged once per job. We're not an emergency service, and we don't promise to be quicker than 911. If anyone is inside a locked car, call 911 and don't wait for us.
How to keep it from happening
Never leave a child or a pet in a parked car, even for a minute, and even with the windows down. Put something you need, such as a bag, a shoe or your phone, in the back seat, so you have to look there before you walk away. Keep keys and fobs out of children's reach, and lock the car at home so a child can't climb in and get stuck.
Common questions
Not as a first step. When anyone is inside, call 911. If 911 tells you responders are coming, let them handle it.
No amount of time is safe in Texas heat. The inside of a car can become dangerous within minutes, so the only safe time is none.
Call 911 and say what you see and where. Don't wait for the owner to come back.