Local man hopes to saves lives with sound of a voice
Stevie M. has never forgotten the 1998 tragedy where five family members lost their lives to carbon monoxide poisoning at Naval Air Station Meridian. "It was a father and his four sons. To lose an entire family like that is tragic," said Stevie, a father of two. "That has never left me." As Stevie continued to hear about similar catastrophes - including a local man who died in a fire while asleep - he was prompted to take action. "I started thinking, 'What if someone could have been there to awaken those people? What if there was a voice warning them of the danger'" he said. A year from now, Stevie hopes to find the answer to his questions through the Life-saving Voice System, a product he developed. Designed to protect homeowners against smoke or gas emissions, the Life-saving Voice System alerts individuals when danger arises, granting ample time to take appropriate measures. "I chose to make it a voice system because I felt people would respond better to a voice command than a sound such as an alarm or a beep," Stevie said.
The product is currently being made available for licensing to manufacturers. Invention Technologies Inc. is handling publicity and public relations for the product. "Ten minutes after I sent them a fax showing a sketch of my concept, they contacted me," Stevie said, noting he contacted the Better Business Bureau before "handing over" his idea to the company. "They took it to the new project director, who called me and said he felt I had a powerful product that would not just benefit certain sects of the population, but everyone." Once a licensing agreement has been established with a manufacturer, production of the Life-saving Voice System will begin. "We're looking at a year, maybe less," Stevie said.
If the product is successful, the aspiring inventor said it will fulfill a lifelong personal goal. "I've always wanted to make an impact on the human race, to make some kind of contribution to mankind," he said. "Hopefully, through this invention, I'll be able to save countless lives." And though in the early stages of possibly realizing his dream, Stevie said he hopes to inspire other aspiring inventors from the area. "Especially young people," he said. "I hope I can somehow encourage others to also reach down inside and pull out the gifts within." In the meantime, Stevie is continuing with his 19-year-old company, National Carpet Cleaning. He also serves as pastor for ministries in Philadelphia. Stevie and his wife are the proud parents of two children.