Boca Raton, FL Local 1560 member Kyle Graham was honored with an IAFF Recognition Award February 24 during the IAFF Executive Board meeting in Hollywood, Florida, for the heroic actions he took to save the life of fellow Local 1560 member Randy Prokos.
On hand to present the award were General President Edward Kelly, General Secretary-Treasurer Frank Líma and the entire Executive Board.
“When his brother’s life was on the line, Graham kept calm and stayed on task until his brother was safe and on the road to recovery. I can think of no one more deserving of this union’s recognition,” says General President Kelly. “Brother Graham, you have raised the bar to a new standard that we should 
all try to meet. Thank you for all that you do.”
“Brother Graham acted without hesitation, relying on his training and experience to take the necessary actions to save the life of Brother Prokos,” says 12th District Vice President Walt Dix He is a true hero and brother fire fighter.”
On the job, Graham is known for his professionalism, higher-level emergency response skillset and ability to stay calm even during the most stressful emergency response situations. In September 2021, his abilities and resolve were tested when he was called to save the life of his fellow Local 1560 member, Randy Prokos, after a serious off-duty injury.
Graham and Prokos were on a hunting trip in rural North Dakota. The two were hunting in separate areas when Prokos’ leg was accidentally pierced by an arrow. Because the arrow cut an artery, Prokos was bleeding badly. He stopped it as much as he could, but it wasn’t enough. His only chance at survival was to reach Kyle for help.
Prokos heard his calls for help and ran to his aid, using his belt to form a second tourniquet and applying pressure to the wound. Despite spotty cell phone reception, Graham was able call EMS.
When it was clear that it was best to take Prokos back to South Florida for further medical care, Graham stayed calm and organized a charter plane to return home. He did not rest even after Prokos arrived at the trauma center. He created a GoFundMe account to help with medical bills and arranged a meal train to make sure Prokos could focus on getting better.
“We are lucky to have Kyle Graham as part of our fire fighter family. In the same way he does every shift, Graham took a stressful situation and calmed it,” says Boca Raton Local President David Eddinger. “He organized the chaos and focused on obtaining a positive outcome for brother Prokos. And that’s exactly what happened.”
After months of rehabilitation and weeks of light duty, Prokos has not only fully recovered, but he has also been promoted to captain.
