One Million Dollars for One Million Reasons
In 2018, Ivan Kristoff established a Trust, dedicated to design and promote innovative solutions for rope and ropless access during extreme rescue operations in hard to reach places and harsh environment. A pioneer work is on it’s way to present the new Ultimate Challenge for vertical and aerial rescue. Following the successful partnership between Ivan Kristoff and Fortis Swiss Watches, a new cooperation will take place in Switzerland.
The Innovation for Vertical and Aerial Rescue FuNd (I.V.A.N.) INitiative is established in partnership with private and government organizations from Bulgaria and Switzerland. Potential applicants must contact us to initiate interest in the program and develop proposals that address program and partner priorities. With a $1,000,000 initial venture capital fund, we provide early-stage investments, mentorship and know-how and R&D facilities for rope vertical rescue startups. Our land and properties Bulgarian cities and villages are available to be used for brainstorming, training, testing new concepts and R&D projects.
WHAT WE FUND
We invest in innovation that will improve Vertical and Aerial Rescue operations and expand its boundaries
We provide annual funding and support for new projects or initiatives that will improve the the efficiency of vertical rescue and high-rise emergency aerial response. These projects must address at least one of our priorities and their respective goals. All of the proposals are carefully reviewed and ranked in order of merit. The annual funding for these projects is then distributed in that order.
We help candidates to obtain additional funding with our Europian, North American, Asian and Middle East partners.. There are four merits that we look for in our support for Vertical Rescue initiatives.
Interoperability and Coordination
Using lessons learned and best practices in the development and validation of communication and collaboration structures (policies, procedures and protocols) to improve Vertical Rescue delivery (e.g., establishing expert roundtables, volunteer forums,validating training through joint exercises). Read more…
Information Management and Standardization
Developing, providing and/or connecting partner organizations with training, case and resource management tools, which utilize a new standartization ve Vertical Rescue operations. The next I.V.A.N. project is to build an Institute for Vertical Access operatioNs in Sofia, Bulgaria, and Dubai, UAE. Read more…
Strengthening Prevention and Finding Solutions
Support education to increase acceptance of a shared responsibility for safety by delivering key messages through broad public awareness and targeted outreach focused on Vertical Rescue alerting and increasing survivability pending rescue. We focus on extreme rope access on super high-rise buildings. Read more…
Supporting Volunteers and Professionals
Highlighting the role of volunteers through new and ongoing communication activities and recognition of the value they bring to the public. For example, our S.O.S. Team, a non-profit organization, initiated a series of tests with innovative technology and mobile computing in the air. Read more…
WE INVEST IN THE SCIENCE OF RESCUE
ApneaLab
With the ApneaLab you can begin your wonderful journey in the underwater world from the mineral waters in the valleys in Pirin Mountain, the highlands in Rila Mountain, the Black Sea in Bulgaria and to the Mediterranean Sea in Greece. Read more…
RescueLab
The Rescue Lab is a state of the art rope access and rescue training facility. It is designed with high profile training experience in mind and for the purpose of developing new industry standard for vertical rescue training with elite instructors. Read more…
SpaceLab
We are creating an innovative specialized training for rope access technicians that has been developed for the Bulgarian astronauts. With B.A.S. we will conduct fundamental studies in the field of Space Physic that apply for rescue missions.Read more…
TimeLab
Precise time management is crucial when working, training and rescuing at height. In order to increase efficiency we have developed a specialized time management program with the necessary tools to effectively manage ER. Read more…
OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE CANADIAN EMS
Canadian SAR Organizations
Ivan Kristoff develops rescue initiatives, organizes volunteer rescue teams and finances all expenses for his projects. During the SARSCENE’ 97 and SARSCENE’ 98 Ivan, presented his new developed initiative to create a Canadian Rescue Emergency Service Team, aka C.R.E.S.T. for the Province of Ontario and later the High-ris Emergency Air Rescue Team, aka H.E.A.R.T. He also demonstrated the capabilities and his specialized high angle rescue equipment in outdoor demonstrations. Read more…
Toronto Emergency Services
With our friends from the Toronto Metropolitan Police, Fire Department, Toronto Paramedic Services, EMS Correctional Services, we contributed to the organization, promotion, logistics for the First & Second Emergency Services and Law Enforcement Appreciation Days. Ivan Kristoff sponsored the aerial demonstrations with a helicopter over Lake Ontario for the inauguration of the very first event. Special guest of the event was the Canadian Minister of Defence, Mr. Art Eggleton. Read more…
Mayoral Charity Tournaments
We sponsored the Mayoral Charity Golf Tournament air demos during the 8th, 10th and the 11th Anniversary of the Mayor of the City of Toronto charity event. Mr. Mel Lastman. We rased $445,ooo for theHospital for Sick Kids in Toronto, Centenary Health Center Foundation, Mount Sinai Hospital, the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation, the Community Association for the Riding Disabled, the Rouge Valley Hospital Health System Foundation and the Canadian Liver Foundation. Read more…
Int. Assoc. of Chiefs of Police
Our use of technology in inaccessible places was noticed by some of the world’s leading brands who produce equipment and solutions for the public safety and emergency services. They have supported us with their newest equipment, which we have donated to organizations involved with Aerial Emergency Response and Rescue. For this reason, we participated in the 2001 Annual Conference of The International Association of Chiefs of Police and the World’s First Premier of the TOUGHBOOK. Read more…
OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE BULGARIAN EMS
SAR non-profit Organizations
A decade ago, Ivan Kristoff and his partners registered a Bulgarian volunteer SAR “Special Operations Services” – (S.O.S.) team. Read more…
With the Mayor of Sofia
Ivan Kristoff organized and executed the very first helicopter aerial wireless video/photo monitoring with 3G and 4G technology. Read more…
With the Mayor of G. O.
Ivan Kristoff showed their skills in Veliko Tarnovo with Dipl. Eng Jordan Mehitev, the Mayor of the City of Gorna Oryahovitsa. Read more…
With the Prime Minister of Bulgaria
Gen. Boiko Borisov, Prime Minister of Bulgaria, presents Ivan Kristoff and his idea for oganizing the first Bulgarian non-profit organization for rescue. Read more…
With the Bulgarian Air Forces
Built on the proud history of partnering with the Bulgarian Air Forces , Ivan Kristoff is working on a new project to elevate their reputation. Read more…
WHERE WE ARE BUILDING THE FUTURE OF ROPE RESCUERS
The Innovation for Vertical and Aerial Rescue Fund is an innovative accelerator for rescue startups— providing mentorship, wide range of support, marketing and critical initial support to trend setters and their ideas.
One of our first investment is to build a Creative Hub in the area where the Highrise Emergency Aerial Response Team will train- near an airport (2.5km away), the highest peak in Bulgaria (just a few kilometers away and a few kilometers higher), swim in the hot natural mineral pools and relax in a thermo spa center. And we chose the right place -Belchin – one of the world’s top Spiritual Places with The Strongest Energy Field. That is where hand-picked designers, web developers, copywriters, online marketers, PR specialists, photographers, video operators, journalists, and consultants will work with us on the H.E.A.R.T. project.
The building of the Studio for visual communications and branding (I.V.A.N.) is in it’s final stage of construction and it will be completed in the summer of 2016. It is located between the northern slopes of Vitosha Nature Park and southern slopes of Rila and Pirin mountains. The Topspace is an open-air observation deck and the premiere destination for panoramic, 360 degree view of the adjacent mountains. The Studio will have a 7.1 Dolby Digital and DTS Home Theater, where our project films will be presented in 3D formats.
On the photos below, you will see the architectural design of Ivan Kristoff and arch. Chavdar Georgiev. The studio offers its habitants with the modern comfort with bedrooms, fitness gym, office, Sky Bar and sauna. The most adventurer habitants can travel there 50km from the Sofia, the capital da Bulgaria, by our rally, 4×4 and R1 racing cars and bikes on the highway or by our off-road truck, motorcycles, mountain bikes or by foot via the Vitosha Mountain. Going both ways, you get 100 km to choose – by land or by air. For the highing maniacs, they will be happy with the long distance march and rapid change in 1k denivelation – perfect for running and breathing exercises. Read more about the project here.
