These issues may not be on the Congressional docket yet, but Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.) has put them on his agenda for the next year's work. Weldon is vice chair of the House's Homeland Security Committee and vice chair of Armed Forces Committee. (Weldon discusses these issues at greater length in an interview scheduled for an upcoming issue).

1. Prevent the U.S. Justice Department from “defining what a firefighter is” by setting age limits through the death benefits awarded under DOJ's Public Safety Officer Benefit program.

2. Discourage the International Association of Fire Fighters from preventing paid firefighters from volunteering in their communities. “We cannot afford a battle between the IAFF and the volunteers,” he said.

3. Establish a National Fire Center in Washington, D.C. A location one block away from the Capitol has been selected.

4. Support the transfer of military technology to pinpoint the location of firefighters on the fire scene. “I'm not going to be satisfied until we take military technology … that provides GPS location of where a soldier is on the battlefield and a transmitter that tells you how well that soldier is doing and put it into place as a system a firefighter can wear.”