As Florida enters Hot Car Death Prevention Month, Safe Kids Palm Beach County, a signature program of Community Partners of South Florida (CPSFL), joined forces with local emergency and child advocacy leaders last Friday to launch a critical safety campaign aimed at ending pediatric vehicular heatstroke.
The event, held on Friday, April 3, at the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Headquarters on Pike Road in West Palm Beach , served as a somber reminder of the stakes involved.
Florida currently ranks second in the nation for child deaths in hot cars, with 112 lives lost since 2001. The awareness month is part of “Ariya’s Act,” a state law named in memory of 10-month-old Ariya Paige, who tragically passed away in 2023.
“Safe Kids Palm Beach County is committed to educating our community and providing the tools necessary to prevent these heartbreaking incidents,” said Kathy Wall, Director of Safe Kids PBC. “This month is about raising awareness and taking action to ensure no child suffers from vehicular heatstroke in our county.”
The news conference featured a visual demonstration of how quickly a vehicle’s internal temperature can reach deadly levels, even on a mild Florida day. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue also performed a mock rescue, reenacting the high-stakes emergency response required when a child is discovered alone in a vehicle.
Key speakers at the event included:
- Kathy Wall, Director of Safe Kids Palm Beach County (CPSFL)
- Dr. Lisa Williams-Taylor, CEO of the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County
- Phillip Olavarria, Division Chief of Medical Services, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue
Safe Kids PBC is one of more than 60 programs funded by the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County. As a program of Community Partners of South Florida, Safe Kids PBC works year-round to provide parents and caregivers with practical “look before you lock” strategies and education to prevent tragedies before they occur.
For more information, please visit https://www.cpsfl.org/Safe-Kids
About Community Partners of South Florida
Community Partners of South Florida is a $15 million comprehensive community development nonprofit agency headquartered in Riviera Beach that provides services to families facing social, emotional, and financial adversity. By using a unique, breakthrough approach integrating housing and financial empowerment, child and family mental health, and community services, Community Partners of South Florida creates self-sustaining families and communities and serves as a driver for growing its local economy. For more information about Community Partners of South Florida, visit www.cpsfl.org. Community Partners of South Florida is a proud chartered affiliate of NeighborWorks America, a national, nonpartisan nonprofit striving to make every community a place of opportunity.
For more information, please contact: Jaime Elder at jaime@khannaconnections.com
