Rogina King Saves Infant From Overheated Vehicle

Rogina King (second from right) is recognized by (left to right): Joseph Snow, project manager, ABM; Michelle Kinds, manager – Workplace Services, AEP; and Christopher Lindner, senior regional director, ABM.

Rogina King, a contract custodial employee of ABM working at AEP Headquarters in Columbus, is well-known on the floors where she works. A petite woman, she has a positive, energetic attitude and an infectious laugh.

She also has a heart of heroic proportions.

One day in early July, with temperatures hovering around 90 degrees, she got out of her car at a local grocery store parking lot to do some routine shopping. Nearby, from within a parked vehicle, she heard whimpering and crying.

She walked over to the car and was shocked to see a baby strapped in the back seat of the car with no one around. A window was barely cracked open.

King immediately tried to open the window but was unable to do so. While she was attempting to gain access, a man nearby saw what she was doing, came over and began to help. He took a shopping cart and broke the window so they could get to the child. They took the baby into the store and contacted store security and emergency medical personnel.

“I just saw that helpless baby, and I knew I had to do something,” King said. “I just reacted.”

Michelle Kinds, manager – Workplace Services, recognized King for being observant and taking quick action, and presented her with a gift from AEP. “We always talk about safety with our employees and contractors, and we want to recognize you for making safety a priority and taking action in this situation,” she said.

The entire custodial team at the AEP Headquarters building enjoyed a pizza lunch from ABM in recognition of King’s actions.

King, a member of the team that does general cleaning building-wide, has worked for ABM for 13 years.

How high can temperatures climb inside a vehicle?

The National Weather Service conducted a test on a recent summer day. A car with a dark color and untinted windows was parked facing south with a sunny sky, with temperatures in the 90s and climbing at midday. The air conditioner was run until the interior of the car reached 82 degrees and remained steady. Then a digital thermometer was placed in the rear seat. The air conditioner was turned off and temperature readings were taken every 10 minutes.

Within 20 minutes, the temperature had climbed to 87 degrees. In another 10 minutes, it reached 93, and 10 minutes later it hit 100 inside the car. An hour after starting the test, it was 104 inside the vehicle – 11 degrees hotter than the outside temperature. When the test concluded about 2 hours after it began, it was a blistering 124 degrees inside the car.

The NWS noted that “A child’s body temperature warms much more quickly than an adult’s. Conditions can get deadly relatively quickly, so never take a chance. Never leave children, pets, or even the elderly in a parked car for even short periods of time.”