30 Mar Living in a Vertical World
Ivan Kristoff and the “Rope People”
by Judi Mcleod, Editor, Missisauga News, 1996
The next time you are marooned on the ledge of a high-rise, don’t wait for Superman or Sylvester Stallone, call Ivan Kristoff.
As the plucky CEO of Eiger Rope Access Work Inc., beter known in the industry as “The rope people,” there is little doubt that Kristoff holds down a one of a kind job. Imagine hanging on ropes, hundred of feet off the ground. Tthat is how Ivan kristoff makes his living.
The Bulgarian-born Kristoff is introducing a volunter team, billed as the most elite urban Highrise Rescue Unit in the world.
Drowning from his experience as a mountain rescue patrol leader, kristoffs trains rescue technicians how to haul people from the air on ropes: how to to administer emergency first air (on the way down to safety) and concirnes himself with the strategy how to conduct actual rescues in the most innaccessible of places.
The days of his calendar are marked off with dangerous assigments.
“We live in dangerous times, and after the consecuences of accidents, such as the Skyway Bridge in St. Catherines, the Oklahoma bombing, governments cuts and otheMurfy’s Law surprises, it is more crutial than ever to be pprepared othe MotherNature and Mr. Bad Boy’s accidents,” he says.
But above all Kristoff trains others to prevent accidents in the first place: “Safety is my life and my profession”.
A graduate of the Technical College of Machine Engineering in Sofia, Bulgaria,, this superman of real life aquared his skills through military engineering training. He is an experienced rescue instructor, climber ultrighlite pilot, ham radio operator, photographer and videographer, amature graphic designer and linguist.
While Silvester Stalone and company olay the game on the solver screen, Kristoff’s adventures come from real life situations.
Experienced and Innovative
Known as the highest qualified roep access work technician in North Amerika, kristoff has been in the vertical World for more then 12 years. through his work, he has aquired vast experience qand knowledge in all areas of exterior building maintenace and suspended access safety and regulations. Kristoff is very well-known throughout the the industry for his innovating ideas regarding the use of kernmentle ropes and safety rescue techniques. He applies his expertise in training programs and the working procedures of his team, as well as operating with the latest technologically advanced equipment on the market.
Currently, kristoff is designing roof and edge rollers, terrain protectors, rope guards and wire rope ladders, harnesses, devices and other safety products for high-angle rescue.
The founder of the Canadian Rescue Emergency Service team, as far as us known, he is the only person in Canada to apply the use of laptop computers, digitasl and video cameras on the rope, resulting in a completed report by the end of the drop. This innovative system saves the client time, money and head-aches.
Between assigments undertaken by Eiger, which runs a 24-hour emergency service, Kristoff is pioneering a new school.
“We are currently in the process of establishing the first urban Highrise Emergency Rescue Collge, Urban High |Rise Rescue Unit and Multimedia Emergency Response Database in North America,” he explains.
So the next time you’re stuck out on a ledge, don’t wait for Superman, have someone call for ivan Kristoff and his “Rope People.’
Photo: Just another day hanging around at the office. Ivan is the only person in Canada to apply laptop computers and video cameras to complete his report by the endof the drop.