D.C. firefighters are turning up the heat on city leaders as they push for a pay raise. Their union, the D.C. Firefighters Association IAFF Local 36 is holding a rally Tuesday morning on the steps of the John A. Wilson Building to demand a pay raise be baked into the FY2027 budget. Union President David Hoagland said firefighters have worked for nearly two years without a contract, and they're due for a cost of living raise. "Everybody's struggling with affordability these days.