The Congressional Fire Services Institute selected the late Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio) as the 2009 Legislator of the Year. Tubbs Jones served in the House of Representatives for nearly 10 years before her death last August. This is the first time the award has been given posthumously.

Tubbs Jones was an advocate for fire prevention and education, especially on college campuses. During her career, she pursued legislation to reduce the threat of fire on college campuses and supported the fire service on many other legislative initiatives.

Among other awards presented at the dinner, the CFSI/Motorola Mason Lankford Fire Service Leadership Award was presented to Steve Edwards, director of the Maryland Fire Rescue Institute . (See "Those Who Can, Teach"). The Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes Fire Service Safety Leadership Award was presented to the International Association of Fire Chiefs for its Near-Miss Reporting System and to the Common Voices Coalition for its efforts in burn treatment advocacy. Pat Mieszala, R.N. and the president of Burn Concerns, was awarded the Dr. Anne W. Phillips Award for leadership in fire safety education.