By Denise Winterman BBC News Online

Members of all three armed forces will work together to provide emergency cover when the UK's first national firefighters' strike for 25 years starts on Wednesday.

More than 18,000 Army, Navy and RAF personnel will be involved and they are confident in their ability to fight fires.

They say while they cannot emulate the cover usually provided by the fire service, they will give 110% and hope the public will support them.

Andy Pittock: Saving lives is a priority

Many of those involved are professional military firefighters with vast experience of the job, often in extremely hostile environments.

RAF fire officer Andy Pittock has just returned from Afghanistan, where he was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery.

For over an hour, his fire crew of 11 men held off an angry crowd of more than 300 people who had beaten an Afghan official to death and were trying reach two others.

He will be sent to Chelmsford in Essex during the fire strikes to take charge of rescue teams and regional support teams in the county.

He said the armed services were confident they would cope, adding that their priority above all else was to save lives.

"We have professional military firefighters at the heart of this operation and a lot of equipment to support them," he said.

'Extreme environments'

"I want to reassure the public there is more to what we do than just the Green Goddesses. They have received a lot of negative publicity, but are only part of the operation."

He admitted the equipment would be spread thinly around the country.

"There is no way we can emulate the cover the civilian fire service is providing, but we are going to do our best to do a good job out there," he said.

During the strikes, 827 Green Goddesses will be in operation, divided between 429 temporary fire stations across the country.

Aaron Eynon: Covered Merseyside firefighters' strike last year

Each Goddess will be manned by two crews of six people, with each crew working a 12-hour shift.

There will also be 331 breathing apparatus rescue teams and 59 regional equipment support teams, which carry such items as heavy cutting gear.

Navy firefighter Aaron Eynon, who will be stationed in London during the strike, said crews would be stretched but able to cope.

He has already had experience of the situation, after being called in to cover when firefighters in Merseyside went on strike last year.

He said military fire crews were continuously training, often in very extreme environments.

"Nothing is more hostile than fighting a fire on a ship and that is among the situations I am trained for," he said.

'Nightmare scenario'

"I was called in to cover in Merseyside last year and we coped well. It was busy, but we could deal with all the situations that occurred.

"I'm confident we will be able to cope just as well during this strike. It will be an interesting couple of days, but we have trained hard to provide the best service we can."

The officer in joint command of the armed forces emergency fire cover in the South West said he thought his teams were ready for the strikes.

Over 18,000 Army, Navy and RAF personnel will be involved

Brigadier Richard Cary, who as a young officer helped provide cover during the last firefighters' strike, urged people to be responsible and vigilant both with fire and road safety.

"We are going to do our very best," he said.

"If you ring 999, if you're frightened your life is in danger, we will come for you."

But he admitted that his "nightmare" scenario was if, despite responding, the military cover was unable to get to an incident in time to save someone's life.

Trooper John Mole, of the Light Dragoons, will be at the wheel of a stand-in army fire engine should soldiers be called out on in Cleveland.

"It's not the job we are 100% trained for but we will give 110% doing it," he said.

"I am nervous about it as there are a lot of lives out there that are now our responsibility.

"This is reality now and I hope the public get behind us."