On June 30, 2023, off-duty Knoxville Firefighters and their families gathered for a celebration that was long overdue.
Knoxville Fire Department has a tradition of recognizing the efforts of it firefighters. However, in 2020 and 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic sidelined many of those well-established opportunities to honor those who earned Firefighter of the Quarter and FF of the Year for their commendable actions in harrowing, life-threatening situations.
The first KFD Annual Awards Banquet, held at the Jubilee Center, established a new tradition that KFD personnel had been planning for some time.
Knoxville Firefighters Association provided dinner, and Chief Wilbanks served as emcee. Awards were handed out to firefighters honored in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Click here to watch a video of the presentation ceremony.
Those honored are listed below.
BEAVER CREEK TRENCH RESCUE
JANUARY 13, 2022 |
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
Jordan Adcox
Matt Cataline
Robby Copas
Brad Elliott
Gary Ellis
Angel Gregory
Doug Gwaltney
Adam Hill
Chris Hinkle
Dennis Hurst |
Hugh Laxton
Jacob Mason
Larry McAfee
Bobby Medders
Gunner Moore
Bobby Palmer
Chad Pickens
Justin Roberts
Paul Trumpore |
After an intense 8.5-hour rescue operation, the KFD units were able to safely extract two individuals who were buried in a trench at a construction site in Knox County. Fortunately, both of the victims were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The brave efforts of the rescue team demonstrate the power of human compassion and the importance of staying vigilant in times of crisis.
ADAIR DRIVE FIRE
FEBRUARY 3, 2022 |
UNIT CITATION AWARD
Linny Blair
John Buckner
Tony Buckner
Ken Fisher
Pete Hayes
Ray Hunter
Dennis Hurst
David Jenkins
Nick Johnson
|
Cory Killion
Andrew Link
Larry McAfee
Dale Patterson
Greg Phillips
Nick Signaigo
Jason Stokely
Zach Tyree
|
Swift action by firefighters led to the successful rescue of a victim from the third floor, while all three floors were thoroughly searched and secured.
DEPOT STREET FIRE
MARCH 2, 2022 |
BRONZE STAR
Tyler Burton
David Frazier
|
Todd Morse |
Senior Firefighter Morse and Firefighter Burton, whose low air alarms began to sound, brought the victim to the stairwell where she collapsed and was carried out by the Engine 1 crew including Fire Officer Frazier.
UNIT CITATION AWARD
Linny Blair
Bryan Branch
Steve Brunson
Tyler Burton
Dustin Chambers
Scott Dorrycott
Corey Dotson
Teddy Dyer
Gary Ellis
David Frazier
Jacob Hanover
Chad Haynes |
Josh Henderson
Dennis Hurst
Josh Jordan
Rob LaShier
Bill Lay
Anthony McAlister
Henry Michael
Todd Morse
Greg Phillips
Nick Signaigo
Sadler Snyder
Danny Stewart
|
The firefighters successfully rescued a woman trapped in a basement by demolishing a wall that had been added to the structure.
CECIL AVENUE FIRE
MARCH 25, 2022 |
UNIT CITATION AWARD
Clay Collins
David Frazier
Chad Haynes
Dennis Hurst
Harrison James
Josh Jordan
|
Andrew Link
Larry McAfee
Henry Michael
Greg Phillips
Robert Scoda
Jessica Worth
|
A firefighter saved someone from a fire in a basement on Cecil Avenue. They cut a hole in the garage door and found the person. The victim got medical help because of the firefighter's fast work. It shows how brave our community's service people are.
JAMES WHITE PARKWAY TECHNICAL RESCUE
JULY 6, 2020 |
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
Matt Beavers
Caleb Beckner
Brad Elliott
Shawn Langley
Jack Lay
|
Jacob Mason
Ben McLain
Adam Pittman
David Randles
Jason Woodson
|
Firefighters worked to extricate a victim who was trapped inside their vehicle, which was unstable and teetering on the wall hanging over a 40-foot drop to Magnolia Avenue below. The victim sustained minor injuries from the accident.
LENLAND AVENUE FIRE
JUNE 6, 2022 |
FIREFIGHTER OF THE YEAR
SILVER STAR
DEPARTMENTAL COMMENDATION
Freddie Franklin
Angel Gregory
|
Victor Rodgers |
Report of a house fire with trapped victims on Lenland Avenue. Firefighters entered the structure through the basement window to locate the victims. With thick smoke, firefighters had no visibility and were under heavy fire conditions. Using a thermal imaging camera, they were able to locate the child victim and the baby.
NORTHGATE TERRACE FIRE
NOVEMBER 27, 2021 |
DEPARTMENTAL COMMENDATION
Jacob O’Quinn
|
Chad Pickens
|
Discovering a mattress on fire in one of the rooms with three sprinklers activated, they searched for and found the occupant on the 11th floor in a motorized wheelchair suffering from smoke inhalation and burns to her arms. The water, which had already flooded much of the building, rendered the elevators unusable. They carried the patient down 11 flights of stairs to the medic crew waiting in the lobby.
UNIT CITATION
Malcolm Allen
Keith Branch
Monica Carey
Austin Currado
Buddy Gibson
Michael Hill
Shannon Johnson
Al Ludwig
Casey Mink
Steve Mitchell
Curtis Monroe
|
Gunner Moore
Jacob O’Quinn
Chad Pickens
Ryan Reagan
Zach Risden
Darrell Robertson
Kip Sawyer
Curtis Scott
Glynn Theodore
Paul Trumpore
Chris Wilbanks
|
The decision was made to evacuate the entire building due to the water in the walls coming in contact with electrical wires possibly being a fire hazard. These firefighters worked tirelessly for hours climbing up and down the stairs of the 14-story building with the mission of safely evacuating 250 occupants, most of whom were in wheelchairs or using walkers. All companies on scene worked together to accomplish this overwhelming endeavor.
OGLEWOOD AVENUE FIRE
NOVEMBER 26, 2021 |
BRONZE STAR
Trey Gaff
He scaled a ladder and rescued two victims who were at the second floor window. Overcome with heavy smoke, Gaff threw his helmet off and donned his mask, which allowed him to reach in and grab the victims, rescuing them from the danger of smoke inhalation.
DEPARTMENTAL COMMENDATION
Ian Slagle
While performing other duties, he noticed people in a second floor window trying to escape. He immediately got a ground ladder off his truck for a rescue and notified the arriving Captain on Ladder 3, which set in motion the rescue of the two victims.
UNIT CITATION
Matt Beavers
Kevin Faddis
Trey Gaff
Zach Headrick
Nick Johnson
Trace Langley
Jacob Mason
|
Ben McLain
Steve Mitchell
David Randles
Gage Seymour
Ian Slagle
Jason Woodson
Anthony Young
|
A basement fire with heavy smoke showing, Engine 11 made an offensive attack entering the front door. A ground ladder was used to rescue two victims from a second floor window.
RHEA COUNTY TRENCH RESCUE
JULY 16, 2021 |
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
Paul Trumpore
Deployed to Rhea County in support of the Technical Rescue Team, he responded with the rehab and communications trailer and assisted with setting up the KFD team communications to interface with the local jurisdictions. He also volunteered his Chaplain services to the victim’s family and on scene responders and was also integral in helping the local jurisdiction establish rehab for all the responders on scene.
SPEEDWAY CIRCLE FIRE
NOVEMBER 2, 2021 |
UNIT CITATION AWARD
Nolan Ailor
Dan Anderson
Keith Branch
Shawn Coaker
Robby Copas
David Gray
Angel Gregory
Harrison James
|
Daniel Jobe
John Lins
Al Ludwig
Nathan Patterson
Eric Risden
Bobby Russell
A.J. Spoone
Cody Yates
|
A victim was trapped upstairs in a hospital bed. Firefighters, using a thermal imaging camera through heavy smoke, rescued the victim who was then treated at the scene and transported to the hospital.
2022 FIREFIGHTER RECRUIT ACADEMY
TRAINING INSTRUCTORS |
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
Justin Bailey
Vicki Cheesman
Brad Elliott
|
Chris Hinkle
Justin Roberts |
They dedicated five months to turning out one of the best trained, disciplined and respectful recruit classes.
WATER RESCUE
AUGUST 30, 2021 |
MEDAL OF HONOR
Justin Ingle
Engine 18 responded to a call for a vehicle trapped in fast moving flood waters. Due to extraordinary heroism and bravery displayed in the course of emergency operations, Master Firefighter Ingle was able to effect the rescue and bring the victim to safety.
DEPARTMENTAL COMMENDATION
Chris McReynolds
Rusty Singleton |
Ethan Tompkins |
A vehicle was trapped in fast move flood waters and with directions from their Battalion Chief, they were able to cut their way through thick brush and locate the exhausted victim who was barely hanging on to a small tree in the middle of the swift water.
DALLAS STREET FIRE
DECEMBER 23, 2022
|
BRONZE STAR
Chris Patterson
Engine 6 personnel responded to a reported house fire with three people trapped inside. Fire Officer Patterson, while attempting a ladder rescue of a victim in distress at a second story window, fell to the ground with the victim, who survived, but he was seriously injured.
DEPARTMENTAL COMMENDATION
Engine 6 personnel responded to a reported house fire with three people trapped inside. The victim trapped at the second story window survived.
UNIT CITATION
Matt Beavers
Caleb Beckner
Keith Booker
Michael Carey
Justin Chambers
Thomas Cole
Trey Gaff
Aaron Johnson
Blake Kerley
Brian Mason
|
Jacob Mason
Ben McLain
Brandon Phillips
Chad Pickens
David Randles
Ryan Reid
Noah Seiple
Gage Seymour
Andrew Shockley
Matt Speights |
Responded to a house fire with three occupants trapped inside. A victim, who survived, was rescued from a second story window by ladder. Everyone on scene remained calm and did their job, which resulted in the remaining two occupants being rescued with one of them also surviving.