Painting a sound stage to training the military: a look at Tundra Rescue in Stayner
When there is work to be done in a hard-to-reach place, Tundra Rescue offers a simple, cost-effective solution.
The Stayner-based business specializes in rope access maintenance, confined space standby, rescue operations, and developing safety plans for industrial organizations.
Their very niche service takes form in many ways and in many places.
When the Budweiser Stage in Toronto was being repainted, the wall facing the water proved a challenge to access. Tundra Rescue was called in and their rope access technicians were able finish the job within the contractor’s rigid timeline.
They could also be called to scale wind turbines or telecommunications towers. In the case of wind turbines, they are sometimes damaged by lighting or hail, and Tundra Rescue is able to access the turbines to perform repairs.
For those hard to reach jobs, organizations have a number of options. They could use scaffolding, which is time consuming, or they could bring in heavy equipment like a crane or scissor lift, which often proves costly.
Rope is easy to transport and much cheaper.
“Sometimes looking at the simple way to do it, the original way to do something, is the often the most cost effective,” said Brent Stockford, owner of Tundra Rescue. “It’s just another solution to your problem.”
Many manufacturers and industrial projects also rely on the company for their confined space expertise when work needs to be done underground or inside something like an industrial vat.
“The most recognizable Canadian manufacturers that would be out there, we’ve probably worked with them on some kind of industrial safety plan, confined space rescue plan, or rope access service,” Stockford said.
For example, Tundra Rescue has worked with Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada.
“Quite often they have to go into storage vats to remove a liquid or a chemical that is used in the manufacturing process, so we provide the safe access in and out of those storage tanks,” Stockford explained.
They provide piece of mind for the cleaner, welder, electrician or whoever needs to access that space to complete a job.
In confined space situations, Tundra Rescue provides breathing apparatuses, a safety rescue plan, which is required by the Ministry of Labour, and a supervisor that is trained in advanced paramedicine.
Tundra Rescue, which was founded in 2011 by military veterans, also specializes in the training of other organizations in rope access.
“Today we do training with the OPP, we do it with the Canadian military, and we teach them how to use rope as a tool,” Stockford said. “From repairing airplanes, to jumping out of helicopters to repelling off of buildings, we teach that skill set.”
In 2017, Tundra Rescue was chosen through a public tender process to continue training the Canadian Armed Forces for another five years.
Stockford said he loves his work because of its variety.
“It’s the diversity in each day,” he said. “Every day brings us to a new community.”