What does it take to become a firefighter?

Guernsey Fire and Rescue Service is launching a recruitment drive and is opening up the station to the public to see if they have what it takes.

Those interested will be able to take on a series of tests to see if it might be a career for them.

Chief fire officer Les Britzman said anyone could come along to try it out and not knowing enough about the role could be one of the biggest barriers.

"They're not used to it, they're not things that they do in everyday life, so probably one of the biggest fears is fear of the unknown," he said.

"They come along and they do these tests and actually they realise they can do them or there might be some areas where they struggle.

"So they don't go into training with no skills already."

Ahead of the trial days journalists were invited along and I was sent for the BBC.

Gym tests - including push ups, pull ups, grip tests and a reach test - were up first and I realised very quickly this was not going to be easy.

The purpose of the gym test was to see if you lift yourself out of difficulty, even when tired.

Next up was something well out of my comfort zone as I headed three storeys up a ladder in full firefighter kit.

On paper, 13.5m (44ft) did not seem that high, until I got to the top.

After being told not to look down, all I could think about was doing it - I had a little peek and the ground seemed really far away.

Despite this I stepped over to the window sill on the training tower and then down I came.

Next was the casualty drag which was dragging a 70kg (11st 11lb) dummy round a course.

This was tough and hot and I needed determination to get to the finish, but I did it.

Last up was a breathing apparatus test where I was kitted with an oxygen tank and mask and told to belly crawl through a tube.

It sounded straight forward, until all of a sudden I became claustrophobic.

This was so unexpected, but as my gas mask steamed up, I felt like I was trapped in the tube and my vision was impaired.

The key was to stay calm and my heart rate told me I definitely was not.

The purpose of this test is to reveal how you would fare in a situation where you might panic.

Well I only managed to get halfway through the tube and had to be rescued.

The firefighters helping with the tests said they all had a purpose to mirror some of the emergency situations you might face in real life.

Whilst the physical side of the day was a challenge, it was good to give it a go and have a better understanding of what someone would have to do if they were interested in applying. It is safe to say I will stick to being a reporter.

The trial days are being held from 16:00-21:00 BST on 23 April and 09:00-14:00 on 25 and 26 April.

Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.