Bay couple film campaign ad for their life-saving invention

The Wondunna couple’s moment of panic in 2014 inspired them to create a device that could stop other near-miss experiences, and save little lives.

Taleese Penna with children (L) Kyron,3, Flynn,6, and Azaylah,18 mths and her plans for safekam device. Photo: Alistair Brightman / Fraser Coast Chronicle. Picture: Alistair Brightman

IT WAS a moment Shane and Taleese Penna will never forget; finding their two-year-old son in the back of their car on a scorching hot Christmas day.

The Wondunna couple's moment of panic in 2014 inspired them to create a device that could stop other near-miss experiences, and save little lives.

Shane; an engineer and Taleese; a former beauty therapist, have spent the last two years developing the 'dTec Safekam' a gadget that can send out alerts when someone is locked in the car, or when the car is in a crash.

After years of work, a prototype has been created.

DTEC SAFEKAM: Inventors Shane and Taleese Penna holding the prototype of their life-saving device. Picture: Eliza Wheeler

Shane said the device worked by sensing movement in the car after it had been turned off, and was able to detect when there had been a sudden jolt in the car.

"If it recognises that a person is moving in the car, then the camera takes a snapshot," Shane said.

"A GPS alert and a photo is then sent to three chosen numbers through an SMS."

Taleese said they had included crash detectors after one of Shane's friends was left trapped in his car for six hours with a severed arm after an accident.

To make their project a reality, the Penna family moved from Hervey Bay to Sydney, with Shane taking up an engineering job on a barge and Taleese dedicating her time to taking care of the kids, as well as getting the dTec Safekam on the market.

This week, the inventors, a team of actors and Shannon Glen from Seven Levels productions filmed the dTec campaign video in Pialba's Signature Building.

SAFETY FIRST: The Penna family has moved to Sydney to fast-track getting their device on the market. Picture: Alistair Brightman

Taleese said the whole community had been incredibly supportive of their cause.

"We shot a school scene yesterday, and we were running over time, but the parents with their little children were so patient with us," Taleese said.

"And (the Signature Building) has allowed us to film here on a Sunday," she said.

She said the next step was looking for investors to help put their invention of the shelves.

"I don't think many people realise how much time, effort and money goes into even getting to this point," she said.

"We've spent close to $200,000 so far."

The video will be released in about five weeks.

Go to www.tashla369.com.au to find out more about the dTec Safekam.