LAST year's long-drawn-out pay dispute and strike action has left many Wiltshire firefighters with a bitter aftertaste.

Despite a pay deal being grudgingly secured, the public wrangle for better wages has created its own legacy of distrust and unease between crews and their employers.

Changes in both overtime and call-out pay structures mean the full-time firefighters are earning less now than they were before the strike.

Ironic, considering a firefighter's role today involves so much more than just fighting blazes and saving lives.

When I joined Trowbridge's blue watch on Friday, the everyday demands placed on brigades became obvious.

What hits you immediately is the crew's dedication and love of the job. Strong bonds of friendship and a commitment to educating and protecting the public thrive in equal measure.

These qualities are clearly vital when it comes to the cut and thrust of a life-threatening situation. Trusting your fellow colleagues is the only thing that could keep you alive.

Far from sitting around waiting for a 'shout', as the firefighters dub a call-out, I was literally plunged into action. A 100-foot training tower in the station yard was the scene of the first exercise, with firefighters Jon Salisbury, Hamish Daya, Gary Priestley and crew manager Graham Tucker putting me through my paces.

Using a first response rope kit nicknamed NARC I was lowered off the tower with only a double harness and two firefighters keeping me from hitting the ground. In a real-life incident the NARC kit would only be used if a life were in danger, as a dedicated LandRover kitted out with the up-to-date rope rescue kit is based at Trowbridge.

Less than an hour later I was tasked with saving two casualties from a smoke-filled building. Battling through an unfamiliar, pitch-black room was a terrifying prospect. The speed of the call-out means you have little time to equip yourself with breathing apparatus and kit, let alone prepare for what's ahead. Clinging onto firefighter Nick Hateley, I helped scour the building, using my hands and feet to gauge potential dangers or obstacles.

Falling masonry, backdrafts and explosions are all very real dangers facing a firefighter outside the training room.

Breathing apparatus are fitted with alarms which activate if you remain stationary too long, but we were in and out within minutes, thankfully with the casualties in tow.

Speed, professionalism and a calm approach are vital. Every crew member has a role to play.

Crew watch manager Tony Skrebys, 50, said the brigade faced an ongoing battle to ensure its on-the-job actions complied with increasingly stringent health and safety regulations

"We are constantly monitored by the Health and Safety Executive and are restricted by their guidelines," he said.

Training programmes are the backbone of life in the brigade.

Probationer Gary Priestley, 24, said the training was harder than most people realised.

"The theory work is extremely difficult. It is not all practical; the coursework is very hard to get your head around. I don't think people realise that when they first get into the brigade."

When the watch is not attending training courses or responding to shouts, it switches to an educational role.

During my shift we visited two of west Wiltshire's biggest factories. School visits, company inspections and community education are all modern-day requirements of the brigade.

Being a firefighter requires much more than a brave, fearless approach and a calm nature.

It is about loyalty and devotion, which is why when asked what kept them in the brigade throughout the ongoing pay dispute, they more often than not replied, "because I love my job".