Click here to view the unedited press conference.

On July 15 the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and Solantic announed a "Precious Cargo" Summer Car Safety public awareness campaign to educate people about leaving their children, pets and other valuables in hot vehicles, unattended. Sheriff John H. Rutherford and Solantic CEO Karen Bowling placed the first "reminder" decal on the front door of Solantic Arlington to kick-off the summer program. 

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office police officers will distribute the self-adhesive, static-cling decals to stores and businesses through out Jacksonville, to be placed in the front window or on the front door. This decal will serve as a reminder not to leave "precious cargo" in cars.

(l-r) Nathan Newman, M.D., Solantic's Chief Medical Officer; Zone 2 Police Officers Duane Darnell and April Cobb; Karen Bowling, CEO, Solantic and Sheriff John H. Rutherford.

"We are pleased to partner with Solantic to bring this public safety message to the citizen's of Jacksonville," said Sheriff John Rutherford.

It is important to remind parents of the potential danger of leaving their children in a hot car, unattended. Many times, believe it or not, they just get distracted and forget there is a small one in the car seat behind them," Rutherford said.

An examination of media reports compiled by the Department of Geosciences, San Francisco State University: Child Vehicular Hyperthermia Deaths for 1998 -2007 shows the following circumstances for children left in cars:

• 51% - child "forgotten" by caregiver
• 30% - child playing in unattended vehicle
• 18% - child intentionally left in vehicle by adult
•   1% - circumstances unknown

"It is so important that parents and pet owners understand that even a few minutes can be damaging to a child or pet if they are left in a hot car," said Karen Bowling, Solantic CEO. "It wasn't a question of wanting to raise awareness about this danger, it was needing to raise awareness. We hope that by partnering with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office we can get the word out about the dangers of hyperthermia and how quickly it can set in."

A core body temperature of 107 degrees F is considered lethal as cells are damaged and internal organs shut down.  Children's thermoregulatory systems are not as efficient as an adult's and their bodies warm at a rate 3 to 5 times faster than an adult's (Study done by the Department of Geosciences, San Francisco State University).

"The temperature inside a car, even with the windows open, can reach oven-like states within minutes," said Nathan Newman, M.D., Solantic's Chief Medical Officer. "It is essential that we recognize the dangers associated with leaving children in high temperatures that result in hyperthermia. Hyperthermia can cause shock, brain damage and even death."

About Solantic
Solantic walk-in urgent care opened its first center in Jacksonville in 2002 with a mission of providing convenient health care at a fair price with as little hassle as possible. Solantic's centers are open every day of the year with extended hours and are staffed with board-certified physicians that offer urgent care, occupational health, workers' compensation and wellness services. Each center has X-ray, lab and Solantic Rx prescription services on-site. Solantic accepts all major forms of insurance and has fair self-pay prices for those without insurance. Solantic is based in Jacksonville, Fla.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
The mission of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is to protect the lives and property of the citizens of this community, to preserve the peace and to prevent crime and disorder while constantly guarding personal liberties as prescribed by law.

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