June 18, 2025 — The Professional Firefighters of Greater Victoria (PFFGV) are making a powerful impact on the region’s smallest and most vulnerable patients at Victoria General Hospital (VGH), the Island’s referral centre for pediatrics. With a generous donation of $37,000 to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation, the firefighters are helping fund a Giraffe OmniBed Carestation—a high-tech crib used in hospitals to care for premature or critically ill newborn babies. This advanced piece of life-saving equipment combines two essential technologies into one, creating a controlled, womb-like environment that helps stabilize fragile infants while allowing care teams to safely deliver urgent medical treatment.

The Giraffe OmniBed combines the capabilities of both a traditional incubator and a radiant warmer, allowing care teams to transition seamlessly between the two modes without moving or disturbing the infant. The new advanced unit also includes built-in phototherapy, enabling caregivers to treat jaundice while the baby remains in a calm, healing environment. This highly specialized crib is used daily, with about 400 newborns using the crib annually.

“This donation is truly transformative,” says Tara Mulcaster, Manager of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at VGH. “The ability to deliver low-stress, highly specialized care to our most fragile newborns changes outcomes in the most meaningful way. We are deeply grateful to the firefighters whose generosity makes this level of care possible.”

This contribution continues the firefighters’ second 10-year $250,000 commitment, to pediatric and neonatal care at VGH—and a renewal of their original pledge made to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation in 2011. Since then, they’ve donated more than $350,000 toward life-saving equipment that improves outcomes for thousands of Island children. While firefighters from Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay, and Esquimalt were early champions of the pediatric commitment, PFFGV is proud to now welcome View Royal, Langford, Colwood, Central Saanich and Sidney to this growing movement.

“The Professional Firefighters of Greater Victoria have been outstanding partners in advancing pediatric care on the Island. Thanks to their steadfast commitment and more than a decade of generous support, we have equipped our dedicated care teams with advanced, life-saving technology that serves our most vulnerable children,” says Colleen Bronson, Director of Philanthropy, Victoria Hospitals Foundation. “Philanthropy truly moves the needle: donors fund 80% of the equipment in VGH’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and 60% in its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. This stands as a powerful testament to the profound impact donors and community members like the Professional Firefighters have on children’s health across our region.”

Several firefighters representing the PFFGV celebrated the donation and its impact with a visit to VGH, which included a drive-by parade with firetrucks and Sparky the Fire Dog, the Saanich Fire Department mascot. Children lined the windows of the Pediatrics Unit to watch the fire trucks circle the hospital, and those well enough to come outside attended the cheque presentation. They also created handmade art to show their appreciation for the firefighters.

“Firefighters are often called heroes, but for us, the real heroes are the children and families we meet at Victoria General Hospital,” says Drew Coleman of the Saanich Firefighters Charitable Foundation. “I would like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who supported our charitable initiatives this year, as well as to the dedicated members of our charitable foundations who generously volunteer their time. It is this collective support that empowers our exceptional hospital staff here in Victoria to provide children with the highest standard of care.”

Victoria General Hospital is home to one of only four high-level NICUs in the province and serves as the referral centre for maternity and pediatric care on Vancouver Island. With over 3,000 babies born at VGH each year, approximately 1 in 6 babies requires time in the NICU— and use specialized equipment like the Giraffe OmniBed, which plays a vital role in care.

Following the cheque presentation, local firefighters and members of the PFFGV visited with patients and families in the Pediatric and Neonatal units—a heartfelt conclusion to the celebration and a powerful reminder of the care and community spirit that sustain this enduring partnership.