Exploring the dangers of vehicle heat

Summertime in South Central Kentucky means two things: heat and humidity. Tara Mason with the Butler County EMS and 911 Center explains to WNKY what the biggest causes of heat-related illnesses are for our area.

“We usually respond to things such as dehydration, people being outdoors working, not drinking enough fluids.”

A common danger across the entire country are deaths as a result of hot vehicles. According to kidsandcars.org, between 35 and 40 children die as a result of hot vehicles in the United States.

“There’s no air circulating when the doors are closed. The temperatures inside the vehicles will spike well above the outdoor temperature. Those factor into why an enclosed vehicle is so dangerous”, says Mason.

To put this to the test, WNKY’s meteorologist Cody Bailey stepped into the hot seat to feel the effects of the Summer-time heat inside a closed vehicle. To monitor his vital signs, Butler County EMS tracked those levels with various sensors and monitors.

After only 5 minutes, the sweat was starting to pour and the temperature inside the vehicle had risen into the lower 90s. By the 10-minute mark, that temperature was already near the triple digits as the heart rate climbed and the oxygen level fell.

“He is sweating profusely,” says Mason, “his oxygen levels have dropped a little bit, his blood pressure has decreased some.”

The 15-minute mark showed temperatures exceeding the triple digits inside the vehicle. Mason says if this were a real emergency response situation, they would jump into action to cool Cody down.

“If we were to respond to him the way he is right now, knowing that he has been in the car for 15 minutes, we would start IV fluids to start rapidly cooling his body.”

After nearly 20 minutes, the hottest temperature ranged between 100 and 105 degrees. This was when Butler County EMS decided (along with Cody) that enough was enough and it was time to end the test. Had it continued? Danger could have quickly set in.

“Eventually someone would probably just pass out. And then beyond that, you’re looking at heat stroke. The brain is being deprived of oxygen, so that’s when you usually see the death. With a young, healthy adult, that progression would be slower,” says Mason.

WNKY would like to thank the Butler County EMS team for assisting in this story. For more heat-related safety tips, you can visit weather.gov/heat.