IRONDEQUOIT, N.Y. — To do the job, firefighters battle all sorts of elements and conditions. It makes the risk of injury greater than in most professions. In the Rochester area, some fire departments are working with strength coaches and trainers with a goal of helping them stay strong, healthy and safe.

The life of a firefighter is anything but routine — wire calls, accidents medical emergencies.

“We have to go from zero to 100,” said Kenneth Stavalone, chief of the St. Paul Boulevard Fire District. “And you have to be physically fit to do that.”

Several times a week at the St. Paul firehouse, Will Markwick leads firefighters through a series of exercises focusing on strength, conditioning and cardiovascular health. What he’s doing is making sure the firefighters are prepared.

“We know that their workout can be interrupted at any second,” said Markwick, who is a strength conditioning coach at the University of Rochester’s Fitness Science Gym. The firefighter fitness program is geared toward improving health and reducing on-the-job injuries.

“Firemen have traditionally a higher rate of injury, musculoskeletal injuries,” said Chuck D’Agostino, UR Medicine workplace wellness coordinator. “You can’t prevent all injuries, but what you can do is you can help mitigate risk.”

Christian Shafer is part of the crew that works out five days a week — three days at the firehouse, and two at home.

“It hits on not only strength but also mobility,” said Shafer. “Which is obviously very important, so you’re not pulling muscles and tweaking things.”

The National Fire Protection Association, a nonprofit that advocates for fire safety, estimates 65,000 firefighters were injured in 2022. One in five resulted in time lost away from the job. Those injuries can be costly to fire districts — which in turn, are costly to taxpayers.

“If one firefighter is out for a few months, that would cost more than the program itself costs,” said Stavalone. “So the reduction in injury, far outweighs the cost of the program itself.”

Cardiovascular workouts are also intended to lessen the chance of heart attacks. Firefighters say they’re good for morale, and mental health, too.

“Everyone seems to love it,” said Markwick. “They are kind of amazed by how quickly they’ve been able to adjust.“

St. Paul Fire is one of several first responder agencies taking part in the program, which is tailor-fitted to the needs of each one. It’s a fitness routine — for a job that’s anything but routine.