Comparing firefighters and police is like looking at apples and oranges.

Firefighters put out fires, carry people out of burning buildings and respond to medical calls. Police officers patrol neighborhoods, chase down suspects and investigate crimes.

The jobs are completely different, so it is understandable that the physical fitness requirements will be as well, said Henry King, professional standards sergeant for the Rocky Mount Police Department.

Despite their differences, the importance of being physically fit is something police officers and firefighters have drilled into them at their respective academies and are expected to maintain throughout their careers, King said.

To make sure they are in shape for their jobs and an annual physical, the Rocky Mount Fire Department requires firefighters to complete a fitness routine every morning they are on duty, said Jamey Moss, safety and training battalion chief. They start their 24-hour shifts at 7:45 a.m., check their trucks and work out by 8 a.m. unless they have to go out on a call. By 9:30 a.m. they need to have exercised, showered and started work.

“We have very minimal exercise equipment. What is done is all push-ups, sit-ups, box steps and running. It is a lot of cardiovascular training,” Moss said.

In June, the crews at all the stations attended meetings on wellness issues such as smoking, heart disease and the mandatory fitness program, which was implemented in 1987, senior firefighter Eddie Harris said. He is on a committee researching a new fitness program that will be started by next summer. In the meantime, all the firefighters need to be held to the same standard, he said.

“We are basically getting a jump start again to segue into what we are going to be doing. Some people are not working out. The majority of the department still does work out, but what we are going to do is kind of create a behavior change,” Harris said.

Firefighters know that not being up to the challenge of their job could mean the difference between life and death — theirs or someone they are trying to save, Harris said. They have to perform a very physical job while carrying heavy gear, working in extreme temperatures and situations and breathing from a tank.

“Our job is fighting fire and emergency calls. If we don’t train and we don’t prepare ourselves for that, we can get hurt,” Harris said.

Officers on patrol constantly are in and out of their cars on traffic stops and responding to calls, and they have to be mentally and physically ready at all times, King said.

Recruits have it drilled into them in police academy that exercising, eating right and taking care of their bodies will help them handle those duties and the stress that comes with them, King said. They have to understand this, he said, because once they are on the job, the department does not have any mandatory fitness program or annual physical to make sure they are staying in shape. The responsibility for an officer’s physical fitness is in his or her hands.

Despite this, the city’s officers do a good job of staying in shape, he said. They use the department’s 24-hour gym or have memberships elsewhere. Some go on runs with recruits when an academy is in session.

“I have never had to talk to my officers about physical standards. I can’t even think of any scenarios of anybody having to talk to any officers about anything like that,” King said.