Like soldiers training for a war they hope will never come, Bermuda's firefighters train -- and train some more -- for a fire they hope will never occur. But they also prepare for all kinds of other problems, as reporters discovered when they visited Hamilton Fire Station as part of Fire Service Awareness Month.

Putting out fires is just one of the services provided by the Bermuda Fire Service.

Local firefighters are also trained in search and rescue, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, basic first aid and the operation of hydraulic equipment capable of either slicing through a car or tearing it apart as if it were made of paper.

Unlike other countries around the world, explained Lt. Michael Johnson, the Bermuda Fire Service has only itself to rely on. This was why its training is paramount.

Lt. Anthony Caisey agreed and said this was why nothing interrupted training except for calls to duty, which they responded to in one minute. They had one chance to do their job correctly which was why they continuously trained and maintained their equipment.

"Nothing would be worse than not making it to an incident,'' he said.

Division Officer Mr. John Pacheco said part of the aim of this year's Fire Safety Prevention Month would be to educate the public about "their Fire Service''.

He said there was a myth in Bermuda that firefighters sat around all day playing cards, waiting for the fire alarm to ring.

On Tuesday, members of the local media were invited by the Fire Service to see what firefighters did from day to day and to experience their training first-hand.

After talks on work safety, the Fire Safety Act, fire science and the use of fire extinguishers, the reporters got the chance to put their new knowledge into practice.

Using water, carbon dioxide and powder extinguishers the "new recruits'' went to work putting out burning wooden pallets and diesel fuel.

Lt. Michael Mullan said fire fighters used the idea of PASS. Pull the pin out of the extinguisher; Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire; Squeeze the handle; Sweep the nozzle back and forth.

This was followed by the use of rescue tools, including powerful hydraulic equipment which would be used to free trapped victims from a crushed vehicle.

One tool cuts through a car frame while the other tears pieces of the frame apart.

The reporters used the equipment on a car to remove its roof, just as fire fighters would do if they had to rescue a person from a car.

They were then tested to see if they suffered from claustrophobia. The reporters donned masks which made vision impossible and were sent through a two-level maze system complete with hazards, all of which had to be navigated by touch.

This completed, the reporters received training in the use of breathing equipment and were sent into "the smoke house'' and "the heat room'' which were sections of a model building.

A fire burned in one of the rooms and they were sent in with the breathing apparatus to find it while being unable to see their hands in front of their faces.

And then there was the chance to drive on the roads of the Island in a gleaming red fire truck and see what firefighters dealt with while trying to get to a fire.

Driving a 12-tonne, 26-foot-long fire truck at 45 miles per hour through the Island's narrow roads at rush hour is not a feat for the weak at heart.

The reporters were carefully supervised by the services' training personnel throughout all aspects of the training and practical work.

As Lt. Caisey said at the beginning of the day: "The whole idea of today is to provide you with a learning experience in a safe and comfortable environment.'' WHOOSH! - Royal Gazette reporter Henry Adderley uses a powder extinguisher containing sodium carbonate to put out burning diesel fuel in a metal tub while watched by fire fighter Robert Davis and Lt. Anthony Caisey