Some Lockouts Are Worse Than Others
A standard car lockout is annoying but manageable. An emergency vehicle lockout — one where a person, pet, or running engine is creating risk — is something else entirely. Time matters. That's why Auburn Lock & Car Keys treats emergency calls as the highest priority on our dispatch board.
What Counts as an Emergency Lockout?
- Child locked inside — The most urgent situation. Cars heat up dangerously fast in summer (or get dangerously cold in winter). Even mild Auburn weather becomes risky within 30 minutes for young children.
- Pet locked inside — Same temperature concerns as children. Dogs especially can overheat very fast.
- Engine running with doors locked — Running A/C or heat, you stepped out for a second, doors auto-locked. Fuel still burning. Need in fast.
- Medical situation — Need access to medication, medical equipment, or critical items inside the vehicle
- Unsafe location — Stranded after dark in an unfamiliar area, unsafe parking situation, or weather emergency
- Vehicle blocking traffic — Locked out of a car parked in a way that's creating a hazard for others
What You Should Do First
If a child or pet is in immediate distress, call 911 first. Fire departments and police can respond faster than locksmiths in many cases, and they have authorization to break a window if absolutely necessary. Call us at the same time — we'll often arrive in time to handle it without breaking glass, but emergency services are your safety net.
For non-medical emergency lockouts, call us directly:
- (253) 796-8550 — tell us it's an emergency and the nature (child, pet, running engine, unsafe location)
- Give us your exact location — address, parking lot name, landmark, or share your GPS pin
- Tell us the vehicle make and model if you can
- Stay near the vehicle — with the child or pet, watching for distress
How Fast We Arrive
Emergency lockouts get dispatched immediately — we drop other non-urgent calls if necessary. Typical Auburn-area emergency arrival is 10-25 minutes depending on your location and the time of day. We can also stay on the phone with you continuously between dispatch and arrival.
While you wait: monitor the child or pet, run the A/C if the engine is running and the windows can be cracked from outside (some vehicles), and call 911 if conditions inside the car worsen.
