The Kansas City Fire Department’s drone division won a national excellence award for protecting crowds during the World Cup. KCFD announced on Thursday, Oct. 1, that it took home the 2026 Program Excellence award at the third annual Aerial Achievement Awards.

The honor, presented annually by drone manufacturer Skydio at its Ascend conference in Las Vegas, recognizes organizations that demonstrate leadership, operational impact and real-world results

KCFD said it earned the distinction for its high-stakes deployment during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where the division played an essential role in safeguarding massive crowds and key venues throughout Kansas City. During the tournament, the department indicated that it integrated its fleet of Skydio drones into pre-incident planning and live operations.

Using remote aerial deployment, real-time video feeds and thermal imaging, KCFD said drone pilots delivered vital aerial intelligence directly to incident commanders, enabling faster assessments and informed command decisions.

Fire officials noted that the World Cup deployment established a permanent operational blueprint, embedding drone support into everyday emergency response.

KCTV CBS 5 Kansas City

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VIDEO: A local man living with an extremely rare condition is not letting it stop him from serving for Boiling Spring Lakes Fire Rescue.

Morgan Morgan, who is in his thirties, was recently diagnosed with Tango2 deficiency disorder, an extremely rare condition that affects his speech, mobility, coordination and cognitive development. Research shows that fewer than 150 people have been diagnosed with Tango2.

However, even with his daily challenges, Morgan set his sights on joining Boiling Spring Lakes Fire Rescue. His mother says she thinks firefighters have inspired Morgan his whole life.

She says the family lost their home due to a fire when Morgan was a baby and, in more recent years, they had to call firefighters for lift assist after Morgan hurt his knee.

Morgan says he decided he wanted to join the crew in August of 2024. The fire rescue team embraced him immediately, making the station a home away from home.

WECT-TV NBC 6 Wilmington

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The Tacoma Fire Department responded to a house fire early Friday morning in the 600 block of E. 32nd Street.
Crews were called to the scene at about 12:16 a.m. and arrived to find the house fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters initially took a defensive approach, battling the fire from outside before moving inside to extinguish the remaining flames.

Ladder trucks allowed crews to attack the fire from above, helping get the blaze under control enough for firefighters to transition to an offensive strategy. The home was vacant and boarded up and was located close to neighboring homes. Firefighters evacuated homes on all sides while they battled the fire.

No neighboring homes were damaged. The fire was under control shortly before 1 a.m. Crews remained at the scene to put out small spot fires. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

KING-TV NBC 5 Seattle

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VIDEO/PHOTOS: A small plane crashed Thursday in a heavily wooded area west of the main runway at Paine Field Airport in Snohomish County, and the pilot is confirmed dead, airport officials said.

Firefighters received notification of the crash shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday, according to Kristin Banfield, a public information officer for Paine Field Airport.

The plane had been cleared for takeoff before the crash, according to airport officials.

Paine Field fire crews responded to the crash site on airport property and were searching the area. A single airplane and pilot were involved; there were no others on board, according to officials.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known, and officials were working to determine the type of aircraft involved.

KOMO-TV ABC 4 Seattle

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About 20 minutes into the morning briefing, the Arcadia 20 Transitional Hand Crew announces it’s time for “Six Minutes of Safety.” While there’s some absences from the 18-man crew, of the just over a dozen in attendance, most chime in with concerns.

First, that the crew in the training image does not appear to have an anchor point. Second, that the teams are working in opposite directions. Six Minutes of Safety, one of several topics covered during the morning debrief.

“We’ve been seeing thunderstorms in this region,” the meeting leader says while describing the potential for lightning. Another comment, “Great Basin is cooking off,” is in reference to fire activity across the state.

Just like all other wildland crews, the Arcadia-20 wears their issued uniform to the briefing. But unlike other crews, the back of their sweatshirt is covered in a phoenix.

KHQ-TV NBC 6 Spokane

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