BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Recently the Make A Wish Foundation held an auction fundraiser dinner where different prizes were awarded. One of the prizes, donated by the Kern County Fire Department, was to become a firefighter for a day. An unknown successful bidder paid $1,000 for that prize than handed the prize over to 11-year-old Jeffrey Reed.

The young man got the change to meet some of the guys who fight real fires. There was the instruction and the opportunity to act like a firefighter himself by using some of the equipment on the truck.

"Not many kids get a chance to get this close to the action, even kids whose parents are firefighters. I feel lucky that I had this experience, some kids will never see and do what I did today," said Jeffrey.

"It is absolutely unique that a young person was granted the opportunity to be a Kern County Firefighter for a day and we are happy to have him here," said Sean Collins of the Kern County Fire Department.

A hazardous material crew was on hand doing some training of their own. Jeffrey assisted them in the decontamination tent and walked away with a new perspective of what being a firefighter is all about.

"Before I thought these guys just sat around all day waiting for a fire. I found out that it's not like that. Every day you have to clean your equipment and check your gear. If you are a firefighter, you will never be bored, you will always have something to do," said Jeffrey.

Young people who aspire to be a firefighters can get their chance to learn what it's all about when the Kern County Fair rolls into town. Just stop by the Kern County Fire Department's booth.