So, it started with a s#%t pipe. Way back in 2003. Back then, I had been on the FD technical rescue team about 6 years and an instructor in technical rescue for about 2 years (yes, I am that old). A local contractor approached me asking if I could provide rescue standby for the twinning of a sewer line. I agreed. I was shocked to see this sewer line was above ground and around 5’ in diameter. I was also shocked to learn that I needed to form a company to bill the contractor. I knew very little about business and the learning curve turned out to be as steep as learning rescue. Hence Fife TSR was born.
We quickly picked up training and rescue contracts in the Vancouver area and expanded the club. Jason (Island Misfit, Mr. Golden Power), Ken (one of the only dudes I know who can wear a Petzl size 2 harness), Kevin (Mr. Rescue Math) all initially came on board. They are still here today.
Not only did we start teaching courses, we started taking courses. Rigging for rescue in Yosemite and Invermere. More NFPA rescue courses. Attending ITRS. We started into Rope Access; working inside 400’ deep elevator shafts and ventilation shafts. This was before Rope Access was recognized in BC or in Canada (SPRAT was less than 10 years old when we did our first rope access job).
Then in 2007 we were approached by another company asking if we wanted to sell Fife TSR to them. They wanted us to run safety and rescue as a division of their company. We agreed and two things happened. With the larger company there to back us we grew much faster than expected and the business learning curve became steeper.
At this point we started doing our first international work. Rescue training in Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana. Rescue work in Afghanistan, Central America and the Gulf States of the Persian Gulf. Around 2012 the decision was made to break the division out of the mother company and go back out on our own.
So - in 2013 Ronin Rescue was born. Same staff and in some cases even the same gear from Fife TSR 10 years prior. We hit the ground running competing in our first GRIMP competition in Namur in 2013. We also kept up both our domestic and overseas work. This included locations like Libya and our first programs in Belgium.
The next 10 years as Ronin from 2013 to 2023 have been a blur. In this 10 years Ronin has competed in 18 rescue competitions in Japan, China, the USA, Taiwan, Belgium, Spain and Portugal. We have been technical advisors on 5 rescue competitions in the USA, Belgium and China. We have provided rescue training and services in over 20 countries. We have responded to 112 emergency incidents while on over 8000 sites. We have trained over 5000 students.
We are proud to be a Military Veteran Centric company. We have employed reservists and retired Armed Forces personal from Canada, the USA, Britain and Australia. Not only have we supported organizations such as the Legion, Canada Company and the Canadian Forces Liaison Council; we have run 2 CSO, 3 Rope Access and 7 Fire Fighter 1001 courses for transitioning Veterans.
In 2019 we purchased a US company and began providing services in the USA.
What’s next - who knows!! Lol. We would not have guessed that we would have accomplished all of this when we started. BUT watch our social media and website for updates on give aways and specials as we celebrate our 20th anniversary in business and our 10th anniversary as Ronin.
