WACO, Texas (KXXV) — What do you do when you see a child or pet in a hot car? What can you do? Texas DPS and the Waco Fire Department explain how we can help and how they step into rescue.
- As of July 9, 2025, there have been 15 car deaths in the state of Texas
- Sgt. Bryan Washko with Texas DPS says if you see a child or pet in distress in a hot car, you are protected as a Good Samaritan if you have to break a window, but call 911 immediately
- This topic will be covered at the state's special legislative session starting Monday, July 21st
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Imagine walking through a parking lot and you see a child or pet locked in a hot car.
Sgt. Bryan Washko tells 25 News temperatures inside a vehicle can easily get up to 130 degrees on a 100 degree summer day. So what part do you play in making sure the situation is safe?
“If you come across, especially a child in distress that's in a hot car, you're going to be protected as a good Samaritan if you have to break a window because still, of course, you're going to call 911 immediately. But it can take minutes, up to several minutes for any kind of emergency responder to get there,” Sgt. Bryan Wasko with Texas DPS said.
“But you got to think what would you want someone to do if that was your child, you know, if you're going to be protected if you went in there to save a life, you know, windows can be replaced, human lives can’t,” Sgt. Washko added.
Waco Deputy Fire Marshal Larry Denman tells me when a call about a locked child or pet is made, help in on the way.
“We respond to the scene emergency traffic. Once we get there, we'll assess is the car still running? Is the air conditioner on, how hot is it outside, and what do we need to do from there? So is the child or animal in distress? If so, we have the tools that we can unlock the car and get the child out or the animal out,” Fire Marshal Denman said.
The fire department has a tool kit to get everyone out safely.
“Every engine in Waco should have one,” said Firefighter Cash Hooten of Waco Fire Engine No.2.
“We’ll grab this tool right here which you’ll slide in the window seal, and you’re going to pry it open just enough to get this in there. Once it’s in there, you put it in the top corner, and then air it up, and what you’re trying to do is get just enough of a crack to get this in here and either unlock the door manually, open the door, or his the unlock button,” Cash concluded.
