I'm a volunteer firefighter — not a fireman. Here's what my job is like and why gender doesn't matter when saving lives.

• Rayliene Thompson is a 28-year-old volunteer firefighter in Nova Scotia, Canada.
• Thompson hates when people call her a fireman, because "gender doesn't matter" when saving lives.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Rayliene Thompson, a 28-year-old volunteer firefighter with the Westchester Fire Department in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The skills and tasks that come with firefighting — such as operating heavy machinery, vehicle maintenance, or performing technical work under stress — are not something that I would typically be interested in.

By day, I work as a paralegal and am very much a book nerd. I'm not a hands-on person at all.

But in junior high, I participated in a program called Techsploration

The program was designed to get young women involved in male-dominated careers.

During that time, I job-shadowed one of Nova Scotia's first career (paid) female firefighters over the course of a couple of days.

I got to visit her fire department, as well as the fire school, and this experience sparked an interest in volunteer firefighting.

My first day of 'Level One' training, I had no clue what I was doing

It was only my second time wearing a breathing apparatus. This, along with all the rest of the clothing and equipment, weighed more than 60 pounds.

One requirement for your Level One is to get fully dressed and breathing air in under two minutes. Meeting this requirement requires precise technique and is labor-intensive.

I went home that first night in tears, exhausted and sore. I didn't think I could do it. But I was stubborn, and I stuck with it.

Becoming a volunteer firefighter has been the best decision of my life

I love that firefighting pushes me out of my comfort zone and has helped me gain confidence in myself. Within my first year of firefighting, I completed my Level Ones and my medical first-responder training. Two years after that, I completed my Level Two training, which is an advanced fire rescue course.

Part of Level Two training was learning how to do one of the most challenging rescue techniques: the Texas Bail Out, which basically involves jumping head first out of a window and flipping yourself on a ladder. As someone naturally afraid of heights, it was a terrifying obstacle to try, but I did it.

Ever since I completed my Level Two training, my motto has been: "If I can do a Texas bailout, I can do anything!"

Volunteer firefighters in my department are on call 24/7

Volunteers respond to fires, car accidents, medical calls, and other assistance calls, such as people trapped in cars or confined spaces, as well as people or animals who have fallen down trenches or in water. We download an app onto our cell phones and carry pagers that notify us when there's been incident.

We also assist the paramedics, and we respond when hazardous materials need cleaning up.

As a volunteer in a rural setting, I will respond to as many as 50-plus calls per year

I might get multiple calls in one night, or not respond to any calls for weeks.

In the case of a car accident, I'll provide patient care while waiting for an ambulance to arrive. If it's a structure fire, I'm gearing up in my breathing apparatus and heading straight to the fire as soon as I arrive on the scene, so I can begin an initial attack on the flames and/or search for victims.

While firefighting is still predominantly male, we're starting to see a shift

More and more women are joining the fire service. For me personally, it's been very important that I maintain my femininity within the fire service.

I want other women to know that there is no specific way you need to look or be in order to be a firefighter. I get my nails done, and I wear makeup and jewelry. My flash hood — the special hood firefighters wear to protect our hair, face, and neck — is pink. My formal dress wear for the department has a skirt instead of pants.

I carry spare clothes in my car, because it's not unusual for me to arrive at a call in a dress and heels, and I learned early on that bunker gear over a dress is not comfortable!

My department is very supportive, and I feel very safe and comfortable

Still, there have been times within the fire service when I've had to speak up for myself as a woman and where my opinions and ideas were overlooked.

When I first joined the fire service, an acquaintance joked: "I'm surprised they let women join the fire service. By the time their hair and makeup was done, the fire would already be put out." I responded in a sarcastic tone: "I hope your house never catches fire, as I will be too busy doing my hair and makeup to help you."

People will sometimes refer to me as a 'fireman,' which I absolutely hate

"I'm not a fireman," I say in response. "I'm a firefighter."

The term "fireman" and its usage reinforces the misconception that it's a "man's job" and that this work isn't open to individuals who don't identify that way. Fact is, you don't have to be a man to do these jobs. Take it from me, one of frontline firefighters ready to lead the team headfirst into a burning building.

I've done a lot of training, and I've had to work extremely hard to get where I am today. At the end of the day, when we have all our gear on, you can't tell our gender. When we're working as a team rescuing a patient or putting out a fire, or getting up in the middle of the night to respond to a call.

Gender doesn't matter. We all have the same goal: to save lives.