A day in the life of an Anne Arundel County firefighter

Firefighters have a difficult job working in the most dangerous situations.

But Anne Arundel County firefighters face special challenges.

Fire can be one of natures most unpredictable and destructive forces.

Trying to control that that force is one of the most dangerous jobs you'll find.:

In Anne Arundel County from where you live, to where you travel, more than 1,000 highly trained emergency responders jump into action to more than 75,000 calls a year.

I got the chance to see first hand how difficult their job is.

"There's no such thing as an easy fire."

Ralph Suppa has been with the fire department for 7 years.

He's with the special operation team, handling rescue operations.

"You have to dot your I's and cross your T's. There is no such thing as an easy one."

Fighting a fire is tough enough, but try putting on 75 pounds of turn-out gear and carry around about 8 pounds of tools.

On a normal fall day like this it's 70 degrees out.

To the fire fighter with all this gear it feels like it's 120 degrees.

"It can be a little disorienting."

"It adds a lot of stress to our bodies, that's why we try to stay in really good shape."

"Within a few minutes somebody is going to show up at your house and help you out, no matter what it is."

"They're prepared to do that."

"Part of what makes them special is every day they go out the door they put themselves at risk, but they are willing to do that to help other people."

"Everyday is a good day because we get to help people out on the worst day of their lives."

"It keeps thing into perspective. It's always nice to help people out and do what you love."

More than 100,000 firefighters are hurt in the line of duty, and around 100 responders lose their lives every year in the United States.