Child or Pet Locked in a Car? Call 911 First. Here's What to Do Next

If a child, a vulnerable adult or a pet is locked inside a car right now, stop reading and call 911.

Then come back to this page for what to do while help is on the way.

Why this is always an emergency

A closed car heats up fast. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the inside of a car can rise almost 20°F in the first 10 minutes, and it can get dangerously hot even when it's only in the 60s outside. Children's bodies heat up three to five times faster than adults'. Dogs cool themselves by panting, which doesn't work well in a hot, closed car.

In Jacksonville, that means nearly any sunny day is dangerous, not just summer afternoons. A parking lot at the St. Johns Town Center, a school pickup line in Mandarin or a beach lot in Jacksonville Beach can all heat a car quickly. Cracking a window doesn't help much.

Step 1: Call 911

Tell the dispatcher:

• Exactly where you are. A store name and the part of the lot, a street address or a cross street.
• Who's inside. A baby, a toddler, an older child, an adult who can't get out, a dog.
• How they seem. Awake and crying, quiet and sleepy, sweating, not moving.
• Whether the engine is running and whether the AC is on.

Firefighters and deputies can get there fast, and they will break a window if they need to. Stay on the line and follow what the dispatcher tells you.

Step 2: Try every way in while you wait

• Try every door and the trunk. Sometimes one door is unlocked, or the trunk opens to a fold-down seat.
• Use a remote-unlock app if your car has one. Many newer vehicles can be unlocked from the manufacturer's phone app.
• Call your roadside service or connected-car service if you have one. Some can unlock doors remotely in minutes.
• Look for a spare key. Is someone nearby with a second key?
• Talk to the child through the window. If they're old enough, calmly ask them to unbuckle and press the unlock button or pull the door handle.

Step 3: Call a locksmith, too

After you've called 911, call us at (904) 509-0907 and tell us right away that a child or pet is inside. We move those calls ahead of everything else. When a child or pet is locked in a car, we often open it free of charge. We work Mon & Fri 7 AM–2 PM and Tue & Thu 7 AM–6 PM; outside those hours, 911 is your call.

If we arrive before first responders, we open the car with Lishi picks, tools made for automotive locks that open the door the way a key would. There's no wedging the frame or forcing the window. But don't wait for us if there's any sign of distress. 911 comes first, always.

Learn more about how we open cars on our car lockout service page.

Step 4: Watch for signs of heat distress

In a child, watch for:

• Red, hot skin, which may be dry or damp.
• Sleepiness, confusion or not responding.
• Vomiting.
• Fast breathing or a weak cry.

In a dog or cat, watch for:

• Heavy panting or drooling.
• Weakness, stumbling or collapse.
• Bright red or pale gums.
• Vomiting.

If you see any of these, tell the 911 dispatcher at once. They may tell you to break a window.

What Florida law says about breaking a window

Florida has a Good Samaritan law for this exact situation. In general, it protects someone from being sued for damage when they break into a car to rescue a child, vulnerable adult or domestic animal they believe is in immediate danger, as long as they:

1. Check that the car is locked and there's no other reasonable way in.
2. Call 911 or law enforcement before breaking in, or right after if waiting isn't safe.
3. Use no more force than needed.
4. Stay with the child or animal, in a safe place near the car, until first responders arrive.

If you break a window, choose one as far from the child as possible, and cover your hand. Laminated windshields don't shatter the same way side windows do, so aim for a side window. This isn't legal advice; when in doubt, do what the 911 dispatcher says.

If it's someone else's car

Walking through a parking lot and see a child or dog alone in a closed car? You can help.

1. Call 911. Give the store name, where the car is in the lot and a description of the car.
2. Note the plate number and the car's color and model.
3. Ask the nearest store to page the owner. Many owners are only a few steps away and don't realize the danger.
4. Stay with the car so you can tell first responders what you saw and how long the child or pet has been inside.
5. Watch for signs of heat distress and tell 911 right away if things get worse.

Don't assume someone else has already called. It only takes a minute, and it could save a life.

After everyone is safe

• Get the child or pet into shade or air conditioning.
• Give small sips of cool water if they're alert and able to drink.
• Follow up with a doctor or vet, even if they seem fine. Heat illness can show up later.
• Get the car opened, and keep a spare key where you can reach it so this doesn't happen again.

How to keep it from happening

Most of these lockouts aren't neglect. They happen in a second: a toddler presses the lock button, the keys are set down on the seat while buckling in, a door is closed a moment too soon.

Keep keys in your hand

• Hold the keys until everyone is out of the car, or until the last child is buckled in and you're standing beside the open driver's door.
• Never hand your car keys to a small child to play with.

Have a backup

• Keep a spare key with someone nearby, or in your purse or wallet.
• Set up your car's remote-unlock app now, before you need it.

Look before you lock

• Put your phone, bag or work badge in the back seat, so you always check before you walk away.
• Use your car's rear-seat reminder if it has one.
• Always lock your car when parked at home, so children can't climb in to play.

If it happens to you

Call 911 first. Then call us at (904) 509-0907. We're available Mon & Fri 7 AM–2 PM and Tue & Thu 7 AM–6 PM across Jacksonville, from Southside and Mandarin to Jacksonville Beach.