PRESS RELEASE
Greg Graffman named EMS Support Person of the Year
The City of Kingman is proud to announce that City Manager Greg Graffman has been named the 2023 EMS Support Person of the Year by the Kansas EMS Association (KEMSA). The EMS Support Person of the Year recognizes any individual whose efforts enhance EMS in Kansas through their actions and who are not a certified EMS provider.
Graffman became the City Manager for the City of Kingman in 2017 and has been a champion for EMS ever since. Since this time, he has worked with the City Commission and the EMS and Rescue department leadership to help that department reach its potential. EMS has been able to grow during his tenure to eventually become a full-time career service with a new station. Kingman EMS and Rescue is now a recognized leader in Kansas for rural emergency services and provides top-quality care for Kingman County residents.
Mr. Graffman also gives other support to EMS. He often shares compassion for his employees that may go unseen by many. Chief Zach Bieghler shared that a prime example of his compassion came in the summer of 2022 after the department responded to several fatality accidents in a short period of time. These events impacted many of the EMS and Rescue providers. Mr. Graffman was quick to safeguard his employees by ensuring that resources provided by the City were being utilized to sustain their mental health. He also attended a training meeting to make sure these EMS and Rescue employees knew that he and the City were there to give them support in those difficult times.
This recognition makes the third statewide award that the City of Kingman will receive in 2023 for its EMS and Rescue department. Like the other two awards received, Mr. Graffman’s award also went to an out-ofstate third-party panel for selection. He will formally accept this award at the 2023 KEMSA Conference and Expo in Mulvane on August 12th.