Hosted by International Association of Wildland Fire on July 14, 2021 Joe Sol shares their research on sustainment and maintenance throughout the fire season. Joe Sol is currently a Ph.D. student in interdisciplinary studies at the University of Montana with a research focus on the cardiovascular health of wildland firefighters. With the intent to graduate in Spring 2023, his research with wildland firefighters began ten years ago when he assisted in laboratory studies to examine heat stress and personal protective equipment at the University of Montana and the Montana Center for Work Physiology and Exercise Metabolism (Montana WPEM). After five years of working on various hand crews in Region 1, he began working with the National Technology and Development Program (NTDP) in Missoula, MT, and San Dimas, CA, in 2013. As part of his master’s thesis, they conducted a multi-year field study to document the occurrence of hyperthermia (body heat accumulation) in wildland firefighters during training, prescribed fire, initial attack, and on large incidents. Since then, they have worked with approximately 1,000 wildland firefighters to examine components of heat stress, smoke exposure, physical fitness, nutrition, and hydration, as they relate to the occupation. His current position as an Exercise Physiologist with NTDP allows him to connect with line personnel and fire and aviation management to evaluate situations that occur in the profession and seek to improve the health and safety of agency personnel.