WASP Rescue played a starring role in TV documentary ‘Into The Fire.’
UKTV’s Really TV channel showcased the crucial role the WASP played after the discovery of an unexploded World War Two bomb.
The bomb saw the Aston Expressway closed for 36 hours and led to a highly technical and delicate operation to safely detonate the device without loss of life or damage to infrastructure.
Documentary makers were following West Midlands Fire when the bomb was discovered and filmed as the drama unfolded.
West Midlands Fire Service Technical Rescue Team have been using the WASP, or Warning Alarm for Stability Protection, for more than 18 months and decided it would be perfect to monitor the concrete pillars that support the M6 at Spaghetti Junction.
There were concerns that shockwaves from the controlled detonation could cause damage to the motorway, crucial to the UK’s transport infrastructure, and the WASP, is designed to detect movement from 0.1° to 2.6° and / or vibration from 0.5hz to 100hz.
As the bomb was detonated fire and police chiefs were able to stream footage showing the WASP units strapped to the concrete pillars and, because they showed immediately that the M6 had remained unaffected they were able to immediately reopen the busy motorway network.
The WW2 drama was featured in Season 1, episode five of the series.
The self-shot footage is supported by interviews with fire service personnel and supporting staff who attend a wide variety of emergencies including fires, road traffic collisions and rescues.
