A glass company with shops in Langley and Aldergrove has launched a unique campaign aimed at saving children and animals trapped in hot cars from serious injury or even death.
No matter how much it is communicated to not leave your children or pets in a hot car, people still do it.
NOVUS Glass, an auto, residential and commercial glass company with locations in Langley, South Surrey, Port Coquitlam, and Aldergrove, and with mobile services, is now going to be offering free car window replacements for any vehicle’s window that is broken due to a child or animal left in a hot car.
This campaign is set to go live Aug. 1.
“The real goal of the progam is to remove any barriers that would stop a member of the public from helping a child or animal trapped in a hot car,” said Matthew Cosar, marketing manager with the Skidmore Group, the franchisee for B.C. for NOVUS glass. “So the goal is, if you see someone who needs help, that you break a window to help them and that you don’t let a broken window stand in the way of helping to potentially save a life.”
Koser stressed it’s the responsiblity of parents, caregivers, and pet owners to take their children and/or pets out of cars on on hot summer days.
“If anyone sees a person or animal left in a hot car, they shouldn’t leave the scene and instead should call 911. If they believe that waiting for law enforcement is too big of a risk, safely break the glass,” NOVUS said in a press release.
“It is important to note that the windows of a vehicle are designed to resist blunt force. In order to safely break the window, target the edges, instead of the centre, as the glass is more likely to break along the edges. People should go for a passenger window rather than the front or back windshield, as this glass is much more difficult to break through.”
NOVUS Glass asks that the broken window claim is accompanied by a police report or video/picture evidence. After filing a report, call NOVUS Glass and a customer service representative will direct you to the closest shop, or you can request to have the mobile service come to you.
If you’ve broken a window to save a life, NOVUS suggests following these steps:
1.) Call the police and file a report.
2.) Call NOVUS Glass at 1-800-77-NOVUS and a customer service representative will guide you through the process.
3.) If the incident happens after hours, snap a photo or video of the broken window and get the vehicle owner’s licence information.
4.) If the owner is unavailable, take a picture of the licence plate and VIN.
NOVUS Glass reserves the right to revoke this offer at anytime if the preceding protocol isn’t met.
A blog post on NOVUS’s website www.novusglassbusiness.com informs people about how to safely brake a car window.
