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The babies in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can now include Ottawa Fire Services as honourary members of their family tree. Watch as the firefighters return to the NICU to present the babies, families and the NICU staff with a special gift.
As a precaution during the fire and power outage on October 27, firefighters from Ottawa Fire Services carried our NICU babies down from the 8th floor of the General Campus and transferred them to CHEO. Once everything was safe, the babies were transferred back to the General Campus.
On November 7, these special babies received a high honour from the firefighters who cared for them: a Challenge Coin featuring a symbolic stork welcoming new families to Ottawa Fire Services.
The firefighters also presented the NICU staff with Challenge Coins. These coins are typically given to firefighters to recognize their tremendous contributions to collaborating with the Ottawa Fire Services team. In this case, they were given to our staff to recognize the courage they showed and extraordinary efforts they demonstrated on the night of the fire.
Ottawa Fire Services also created a special plaque commemorating the team for their exceptional dedication to their patients under extreme conditions.
“Today was about coming back and saying thank you for the opportunity to assist with moving some of the younger patients in the NICU so that their care can continue at the high level they receive every day in this hospital,” said Jim Andrews, Special Operations Chief with Ottawa Fire Services.
We’re extremely grateful to the teams at Ottawa Fire Services and CHEO for their tremendous support ensuring the safety of our most vulnerable patients.
Follow Ottawa Fire Services on Instagram and Facebook @OttFireIncendie.
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