Firefighters get practice on building slated for demolition

LIMA — Brooke Hedges let out a happy scream, pumped her fists in the air and smiled ear to ear. No, she wasn't the latest Mega Millions winner, just one happy firefighter. The 24-year-old Hedges, who is the only full-time female firefighter on the Perry Township Fire Department, just cut open her first roof with a chainsaw. In the firefighter world, that ranks up there with a ride on the big ladder.“It was my first time ventilating a roof. It was so exciting. It was so cool because they tell you about it in class, but it's cool to actually get to do it on an actual structure in our territory,” she said.On top of that, Hedges had a chance to stop to ask questions, a luxury she won't be afforded during a real fire when lives may be on the line.“The greatest thing about this is you get to ask questions,” she said.Hedges was one of 25 firefighters from four departments practicing Saturday on the old Ponderosa restaurant building on state Route 309 just east of Interstate 75. The building is scheduled to be demolished Monday to make room for a new Panera Bread expected to open in September. Perry Fire officials approached Panera, and company officials were more than happy to let them use the building for training. But it wasn't just for firefighters. The Allen County Sheriff's Office has used it for training as well in the past month, said Chief Rick Phillips of the Perry Township Fire Department.The experience for firefighters is valuable, Phillips said.“We have never, during my career of 20 years, had a business donate a building for us to train in prior to its destruction,” he said. “It allows the guys to work at a more comfortable pace and get used to the equipment before they're using it in an extreme condition.”There was no drills with actual fire Saturday since the building is too close to the highway in a busy area, but the firefighters were dressed in full gear and received practice cutting ventilation holes and working ladder drills.“It's nice doing this in the spring and not out here in 80- or 90-degree temperatures where you really sweat in this turnout gear,” Phillips said.Panera Bread Assistant Manager Jenna Randolph said letting firefighters use the building was the least the company could do to help. “They have been good to us so we wanted to be good to them,” Randolph said.