The Knoxville Fire Department held its annual Memorial Service Honoring Fallen Firefighters Tuesday at the KFD's Headquarters Fire Station in downtown Knoxville.

The annual ceremony honored the 18 KFD firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty since 1885 and the 11 retired firefighters who have died since the last memorial service. Additionally the service honored the five firefighters from the past who died in the line-of-duty that will be added to the memorial statue.

As part of the ceremony, attended by 150-180 active and retired firefighters and family and friends of those being honored, a bell tolled 34 times - once for each of the firefighters.

At the same time - as each firefighter's name was read by Fire Chief Robert L. Key and the bell tolled - a single red rose was placed into a gold-colored vase bearing the department's insignia.

Mayor Bill Haslam and Chief Key spoke at the ceremony and a wreath was placed at the firefighter's statue in Firefighter Memorial Park in front of the station.

Members of KFD who have died in the line of duty and are currently listed on the memorial statue (16):

Captain William F. Maxey
John. J. Dunn
Lloyd C. Scruggs
Fred M. "Jack" Sexton
William C. Reed
Michael Fletcher
Joe E. Tarwater
Carl Eugene Smith Fred Everett Boatman
Louie McCaughan
Captain Tom F. Heagerty
William Scott Popejoy, Jr.
Captain Henry "Pat" Mitchell
Chief Sam Boyd
Henry Clay Lawless
Raymond H. "Shorty" Nash

Members of KFD who have died in the line of duty and will be added to the memorial statue (7):

George H. Smith, 1875
J.C. Flenniken, 1928
Captain Howard O. Gray, 1929
Captain Charles E. Youngblood, 1933James H. May, 1951
Captain Worley Sharp, 1963
John O. "Slim" Pickens, 2008

Retired firefighters who died since the last memorial service (11):

James B. Porter, Sr.
James H. "Bud" Witt
Fred O. Hunter
Fred L. Winstead, Jr.
Glenn J. Grubb
James L. MendenhallClarence E. Thress, Sr.
Edward L. Raines, Jr.Ronald W. Jennings
Donald R. Glandon
John O. "Slim" Pickens

The annual KFD Firefighter Retiree's Luncheon followed the memorial service.