I was nervous.

I shouldn’t have been, I was in very safe hands, but I couldn’t help it.

Nerves are a funny thing and they can come when you least expect it.

When I was first offered the chance to be a firefighter for the day, I thought “wow, what an opportunity”.

But, as the days wore on and the ‘big’ day got closer, I just got more nervous.

I must say straight up, my husband is a firefighter and I’ve got a number of friends who are either in Fire and Rescue NSW or volunteers with the NSW Rural Fire Service.

So it’s safe to say I’m already pretty familiar with some of the terminology and what these people do at a fire.

But, the thing I was most nervous about was putting on the breathing mask, complete with oxygen cylinder on my back, and entering a simulated fire.

We’ve all seen it – firefighters who casually put on all their personal protective equipment before walking, without hesitation, towards a  burning building.

For me, though, the thought of a close-fitting mask tightly covering my whole face made me nervous.

What if I panicked? What if the oxygen cylinder didn’t work? What if I made a fool of myself and couldn’t do it?

In hindsight, I feel a bit silly for being so nervous.

Firefighters are often thought of as heroes in our society. 

After all, they rush into a burning building when the rest of us are rushing out.

So on Thursday I arrived at Bathurst’s Fire and Rescue NSW station along with a few others who had also been offered the chance to play firefighter for the day.

I have to say what a good bunch of people are protecting our city – they are calm, friendly and only too willing to put the mind of a nervous journo like me at ease.

First, we heard about the type of personal protective clothing they wear, which is designed to protect them from temperatures that can rise up to 1000 degrees in a building fire.

Next, we tried on the new state-of-the-art helmets only issued to crews this week.

These helmets are snug, like a motorcycle helmet, and fitted with in-built lights and communication systems.

Then, it was the moment I dreaded – the oxygen cylinder and face mask.

Brett Jackson fitted the cylinder to my back (it comes in a backpack-type arrangement) and then the mask.

“Put your chin in first and then the rest of your face,” he said.

I could almost feel it suction to my face, right along my hair line. Then there was a noise – think Darth Vader.

“What’s that?” I asked. “It’s you breathing,” Inspector Jackson calmly replied.

From there, myself and the others entered a huge smoke-filled semi-trailer that replicated a house fire.

You couldn’t see a thing – not the hand in front of your face, let alone the ‘victims’ you were supposed to try and rescue.

“Grab the strap on my back,” Inspector Jackson said as I followed him into the darkness.

In the end I found a ‘victim’ (a stuffed mannequin) and we all made it to safety.

Now at my comfortable desk I feel silly for being so nervous and thankful we have such calm and brave people to protect our great city.

Thank you Bathurst firefighters, you have given me a day I’ll always remember.