(MSC News)--As the summer time heat builds this week into the weekend, with an expected 100 degrees Sunday, authorities again send the message that heat and children do not mix long term.

According to a release, the Kansas Department of Transportation, the Drive To Zero Coalition, and emergency responders, both local and statewide, send the reminder that children face a greater risk of heatstroke or death than adults because their body temperatures rise up to five times faster, even on cooler, summer days. It's due to that fact, the release says, that the organizations key message is to never leave a child alone in a car.

The release says there are three preventable actions that can lead to a child suffering heatstroke inside a vehicle, with parents and guardians told, one, to never forget a child is in the back seat; second, never leave a car unlocked, even at home, as a child could get trapped inside; and third, never think that a cracked window during a quick errand will prevent a child from being overcome by heat.

From now, through July 21, the organizations will work to increase awareness of the dangers that children face in the heat, with the release noting that, on average, a child dies from heatstroke in a vehicle every ten days. In over half of those deaths, the adult forgot the child was inside the quickly heating vehicle.

According to the National Safety Council, there were five child heatstroke deaths in Kansas vehicles from 2019-2023, with the victims aged 2 and under. One of the five deaths occurred when the outside temperature was reported at only 59 degrees.

Developing habits to avoid such preventable deaths is a key, according to the release, which adds that those who see a child left alone in a vehicle to check to see if they're responsive. If they're not, 911 should be called. If the child is apparently ok, a bystander is told to locate the parents to get the child to safety.