With wild flames licking the ceiling over my head, thick smoke blinding me and an increasing feeling of claustrophobia building up inside, a minor pang of panic erupted.

This was a controlled fire in a controlled environment with fully-trained experienced firefighters around, yet still the heat and the smoke provoked fear.

Of course I was fully kitted out with breathing apparatus, helmet, fireproof trousers and jacket and radio-piece in my ear, but the sheer intensity of the heat was something I had never experienced before.

I am one of the fortunate ones never to have suffered a house fire or needed help from the fire service in any real way, so a day at the brigade's headquarters was a chance to see the lengths these men and women go to for our safety.

West Yorkshire Chief Fire Officer Phil Toase is keen to show the public the work done by the service. He said: "Perhaps in recent times we have hid our light under a bushel but we want to give people the opportunity to realise just what a complex job being a firefighter is in a modern fire and rescue service.

"It isn't just about putting out fires, it's also dealing with road traffic accidents, chemical spillages, collapsed buildings and we need to give the firefighters the best possible training we can give them."

Mr Toase, however, is more than aware of the disrespect and abuse firefighters in Bradford receive on a regular basis.

Last month the T&A reported how fire chiefs were refusing to attend incidents in the Amberley Street area, off Barkerend Road, without police back-up after five consecutive nights of attacks on firefighters.

At that time, fires were deliberately used to lure crews to the area, where they were then stoned by gangs of youths.

Several fire appliances were damaged in the attacks, though no firefighters were reported as being injured.

Mr Toase said: "I was at Bradford fire station only last week, visiting one of the watches there and listening to some of the situations that they really do not want to have to deal with.

"Our firefighters are stoned, have abuse hurled at them and really for the job that they do in protecting these communities it really is a sad reflection on some of the things that we have to deal with."

A few hours in the smoke-house at this international training facility really hammers home the lengths they go to and how disheartening it must be to be abused for that.

Before we go in to the burning building however, the basics of combustion and how to put on the gear needs to be learned.

It takes firefighters at least 13 weeks of intense training before they are able to get a job.

The little we learn is, of course, nowhere near the amount needed to be able to work for this service, but at least it provides an insight into the level of knowledge they need to begin to assess how to tackle a fire.

One of the major problems crews face is the possibility of a backdraught, where limited ventilation can lead to a fire producing gases containing combustion products and unburned pyrolysis products - chemical de-composed material left after being subjected to intense heat.

If these build up, a waft of air when crews enter the building can lead to a sudden burst of flames.

Firefighters in West Yorkshire however are among the best trained in the country - in fact Dave Cookson, watch manager in the breathing apparatus department, believes nobody in the country is better.

After donning the gear, including a tank of oxygen weighing what feels like a ton resting on my back, we enter the building.

While the fire is lit against one of the walls, we sit down and listen as watch manager Cookson explains the processes the fire is going through in the radios in our ears.

At it's height, the doors are shut and we are submerged in darkness, keeping low down in the sweltering heat, while the fire uses up the oxygen in the room and begins to fade.

The opening of the doors, however, allows oxygen to enter, sending the flames reaching above our heads - it is almost as if the fire breaths the oxygen itself as it comes in and out of the room.

It may not be surprising to learn, though, that Bradford firefighters deal with more serious road accidents then serious fires.

From April, 2006 to April, 2007, crews in the city attended 224 road collisions, rescuing 176 people in the process.

Over the course of the last 20 years, extrication skills in the service have had to increase due to the heightened security and safety of modern cars.

Watch manager Mick Brennan, who is part of the extrication team, said: "Firefighter training for first aid in road accidents used to be just a bit of TLC, but through our training we have had to do a lot more on-site care training."

Not only do firefighters need to know how to get people out of wrecked cars, treat them at the scene and ensure the area is safe, but in certain cases bereaved family or friends can also be present.

Mr Cookson explained how not all trainee firefighters are able to cope with the strain and the force their bodies and minds have to go through.

He said: "We get them in groups of about 12 to 15 and we might get a couple of people who drop out, which is fair enough because this isn't a job for everybody.

"But that's why we joined the job - to be faced with a challenge and fix it. Then you can leave knowing that you have done your job."