National Heat Awareness Day – Know the Rules of HB 131

May 24th is National Heat Awareness day, but in our state (Florida), the heat should be taken into consideration everyday. Heat is one of the leading weather-related causes of death in the country and it is also deadly to animals, too.

We have all heard stories on the news about children or pets animals dying from being left in a vehicle with the air off and windows up. The temperature in a car rises much faster than most people realize, and in just 20 minutes a car can get to an unbearable temperature. With that being said, we’d like to inform you about Florida law, HB 131.

Passed by the Florida legislature in 2016, HB 131 was passed to prevent deaths and injury caused when animals or children are left unattended in cars. Basically, the law grants civilians that break the window of a vehicle to rescue an unattended person or animal with immunity from civil liabilities due to vehicle damages.

But that doesn’t mean a civilian can just break a vehicle’s window if they see an animal or child inside. Before a person breaks a vehicle’s window to rescue an animal or child, there are some things that should be done. First, is the subject showing signs of heat stroke? Crying, panting, sweating, drooling, unresponsive? If so, then check to see if the vehicle’s doors are unlocked. If the doors are not unlocked, call 911 and report the incident. Then, it is okay for someone to take action and break a vehicle’s windows. The person who breaks the windows is responsible for staying with the child or animal until emergency services arrive.

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* Photo source: Shutterstock *

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