PHOTOS: Henrico firefighters use soon-to-be razed Skilligalee Restaurant for hands-on training

Members of the Henrico Fire Department have been taking advantage of a soon-to-be demolished restaurant in the Near West End to sharpen their training and put their skills into action.

The former Skilligalee Restaurant on Glenside Drive will soon be razed to make way for a hotel. Before that happens, fire crews have been allowed by property owners to use the building for training exercises, the department shared on Facebook this week.

“Members have stretched hose lines, practiced ventilation tactics, apparatus positioning, and pumping,” the post said. “The command staff has been working with the firefighter tracking software built into our new airpacks as well. Our constant training provide us the skills we need to be ready for any emergency.”

It’s all in an effort to help firefighters stay prepared for emergencies by practicing in a hands-on way. Similar exercises have been carried out in the past, including on a home that was demolished several years ago for construction of Kaechele Elementary School on Pouncey Tract Road in the county’s Far West End.