Fireman’s invention could be a life-saver
15 YEARS’ WORK HAVE GONE INTO GADGET WHICH ALERTS OFFICERS TO DANGER
A MANCHESTER firefighter has created a potentially life-saving new gadget to help protect his colleagues from injury.
Matt Keogh, who works in Leigh, spent 15 years developing the monitoring device, dubbed a Warning Alarm for Stability Protection (WASP).
The shoebox-shaped equipment attaches to any surface in any position and can provide early warning of vibration and or movement giving rescuers a vital heads-up about potentially unstable or dangerous environments.
It was used in the Ashton house explosion in August last year where a man was sadly killed.
It was also used earlier this week by West Midlands firefighters to monitor Spaghetti Junction in Birmingham – as army bomb disposal teams detonated an unexploded World War Two bomb.
It has also been used by firefighters around the UK since last September and will now form part of the official Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue kit.
The inspiration for the WASP came as Matt and the UKISAR team rescued a boy and his mother, buried for three days, from the rubble after the tragic earthquake in India in 2001 which claimed more than 20,000 lives.
Matt, 51, who lives in Bolton, said he searched everywhere for a device that could monitor a building or object’s vibration or movement to help keep people safe but couldn’t find it.
He then linked up with Datum Group in Bury which is a monitoring specialist to make his idea into a reality.
Matt retires from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue this summer is a veteran of multiple UKISAR international search and rescue missions.
He said: “It is a very proud moment for me to see the WASP on board Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue fire trucks.
“It has been a long road to get to where we are today and it wouldn’t have been possible without Rory O’Rourke and the team at Datum.
“But we launched the Warning Alarm for Stability Protection just over six months ago and the result has been incredible.
“My colleagues at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue trialled the equipment and have used in on many live incidents and have decided to take six WASP units.
“It is now being used by Kent Fire and Rescue, West Midlands Fire and Rescue and teams around the world including Germany, USA, Hong Kong, Singapore and beyond.
“It is hugely satisfying to think I may have been able to play a small part in protecting my colleagues long after I’ve left the service.”
Visit www.wasp-rescue.com for more details.