Are you claustrophobic? Do you have a fear of heights?

These are some of the questions firefighter of 25 years Andy Edmondson asked me as I planned my visit to Swindon’s Drove Road fire station.

As a (I like to think!) strong 24-year-old, I wasn’t particularly apprehensive about being put through my paces for three hours during an afternoon taster session of life on the fire service.

But standing in a smoke-filled pitch-black warehouse wearing a stuffy breathing mask and carrying an enormous oxygen tank, with only a piece of string to guide me through the darkness, I was feeling a little less confident.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, which has 50 stations, not only puts out fires, but also responds to flooding and water rescue incidents, traffic collisions, animal rescues and alarm calls – to name but a few.

Nationally the fire and rescue service is 95% male and 96% white, so they are encouraging women and ethnic minorities to sign up as part of their campaign to recruit more full-time staff this month.

The push comes as Dany Cotton, the first woman commissioner of the London Fire Brigade, bemoaned the use of the term ‘fireman’ instead of ‘women firefighters’, claiming it was putting females off joining the service.

“I want to shake off outdated language which we know is stopping young girls and women from considering this rewarding and professional career,” she told The Times.

“We owe it to tomorrow’s firefighters to challenge negative stereotypes today.”

Andy, 47, is the oldest member of Dorset and Wiltshire’s largest fire station in Drove Road.

As operational watch manager he presides over 36 full-time staff members and 10 so-called ‘retainers’ who live near the station and can be called upon when needed.

A Tesco delivery driver and a mechanic are among the retainers and full-time staff include a former bomb disposal expert and an ex-builder.

But only three women – one full-time and two retainers – are on board.

So what does Andy think is putting females off being firefighters?

“A historical problem with the fire service is recruiting people of the opposite sex,” he said.

“Proportionately more men than women come through the fire service but it isn’t because of ability – the standards are exactly the same.

“It is perceived as a male-orientated job and it’s very difficult to get past the initial stigma.

“The only people who use the terms ‘fireman’ and ‘firewomen’ are the public because it has been embedded in our culture for a long time, but it’s a job for men and women.

“It is an absolute strength if you have a female in the crew at incidents because they can have a very good calming effect – they’ve got that natural ability.”

He added: “We have a wide variety of religions and cultures in Swindon – and we learn about this in the fire service.

“Something that is really important to us is to recruit for the demographics.”

Even though Drove Road prefer the term ‘firefighter’, Andy doesn’t think using the terms ‘fireman’ or ‘firewoman’ would put women off.

“People put so much importance on political correctness,” he said.

And 37-year-old Sue McShea – the only full-time female – couldn’t agree more.

Sue, who lives in Corsham and grew up in Chippenham, used to work in HR but joined the force ten years ago, spending five years at Stratton before moving to Drove Road in 2013.

“It’s a really active job and every day is different,” she said.

“I feel I can make a difference to the public’s lives every day.

“The profession is still quite male dominated but times have moved on hugely.

“There’s a lot of banter – some people may not like that type of environment, but it’s such a serious job and can be quite emotional.

“This job isn’t for the faint-hearted.”

Petite Sue says she needs to train hard to keep up with her male colleagues

“When you go into a fire it takes a massive toll on your body.

“It’s not just the weight of the equipment but also the heat.”

She said her colleagues are ‘real gentlemen’ and couldn’t be more supportive of her as a single mum.

But what does she think about the commissioner’s comments about gendered terms?

“I think it’s completely ridiculous – it didn’t even cross my mind that this is sexist at all.

“I wish they would put their energy into something else.”

Instead she thinks women may be put off by the dirtiness of the job and going a whole day without showering.

“For some of my female friends it would probably be their worst nightmare!” she said.

“I don’t think it’s Fireman Sam that is putting them off!”

During the session, I lifted enormous ladders, rolled up powerful hoses and even got to prize the doors off a red Peugeot using a lethal crushing device.

The idea was to simulate the kinds of situations firefighters face sometimes numerous times a day.

“You need some upper body strength but you don’t have to be Hercules!’ said Andy.

“Some of the equipment is heavy but it’s lighter than it used to be and every activity we do we are trained for.”

Travelling 32-metres up in the crane-like contraption used to access high-rise buildings, we see a plume of smoke rising over a building in the near distance.

“We might get called to that,” said 46-year-old Andy, who has thankfully accompanied me on the long ascent.

The smoke disappears and no call comes through.

As I try to drag a 70kg dummy around the forecourt, Greg, 31, said: “We recently had to lift a man who was quite large using a sheet underneath him.

“His family were watching and given his size it was very difficult to move him in a dignified way.”

Obesity remains a significant problem in the UK, so the team have bariatric dummies to practice more difficult manoeuvres.

Chimney fires, incense burners, tealights and candles are common causes of fires.

But Andy and his team are working hard to educate people about potential hazards and ways to keep safe, visiting everywhere from primary schools to sheltered accommodation.

“Fires are still a very big part of what we do, but fire safety and community safety initiatives are too,” said Andy.

“We go to fewer fires than we used to and attend a lot more road traffic accidents and rescues from floods, industrial accidents, as well as home fire safety checks.”

And the role of the fire service is changing, with potential warning signs of child abuse and modern-day slavery some of the things firefighters must have on their radar.

Last month alone the Drove Road team flagged up three welfare issues they encountered while out on jobs.

Shifts are from 8am to 6pm on Monday and Tuesday, and 6pm to 8am on Wednesday and Thursday, followed by three days off to recover.

Camaraderie among the force is strong and they describe themselves as a big family.

“High-rise fires are obviously difficult and dangerous, and Grenfell was horrendous,” said Andy.

“The people we tend to are sometimes in their darkest hour – people have had a bad day if they are calling us.

“We see some pretty horrendous things but you build a resistance to it.

“We all look after each other.”

But processing traumatic incidents on the job can be tough and some firefighters suffer lasting effects on their mental health.

“Some guys will keep it in and just won’t chat about it,” said Andy.

“Family is massively important.”

But the team haven’t lost their sense of humour.

Andy’s phone rings, singing out the ominous Darth Vader theme tune from Star Wars.

“I better get that – it’s the missus!”

Group Manager Karen Adams said: “We are trying to remove any barriers that might deter women and ethnic minorities from applying to be a firefighter.

“It is a physical role, and I think that worries a lot of people, especially women, so the ‘have a go’ days are designed to show exactly what we do and what is needed.”

“It’s quite daunting coming into a station like this but we want the community to come here,” said Andy.

“Just come and knock on the door.”

For information about upcoming ‘have a go’ sessions visit https://www.dwfire.org.uk/news/go-events-ahead-wholetime-recruitment/