Darren Cole of Neville Island looks like an EMT.

His hair is short and neat. His crisp white shirt is accented with blue Valley Ambulance patches, and he is calm, cool and collected.

It's not hard to picture him responding to an emergency in that same calm manner.

And, although Darren is still in high school, he had the opportunity to do just that last month when he helped save a life in his own hometown.

As he sits with hands respectfully folded in the office of Darby Copeland, assistant director at Parkway West Career and Technology Center, Darren talks matter of factly about what happened the day he assisted with his first emergency.

As a senior in Parkway's public safety program, Darren received his EMT certification at the center. During the school year he worked half day for Valley Ambulance as a paid EMT through Parkway's cooperative education program. He also attended a half day at Cornell High School.

After being certified, Darren was matched with Valley Ambulance. His first emergency call came after about three months on the job. Darren, son of Philip and Paula Cole, road with a crew as a third rider to assist a Neville woman who had taken too much of her medication. He was among the first in the house to intubate the patient to help her breath as she was in respiratory arrest.

He was instructed what was to be done by medic J. Mohrbacher, but says he was confident because he had been trained well and had done the same procedure on practice mannequins. After setting up all the equipment for her intubation, Darren continued the bagging procedure as the woman was rushed to Sewickley Valley Hospital.

A member of Parkway's National Technical Honor Society, Darren says he wasn't nervous as he took over for Ohio Township Police, who already had started CPR.

Chuck Smith, Darren's supervisor, wrote a letter of commendation to Parkway stating that Darren "did an outstanding job and applied all his teaching and training on this call. He remained calm and was performing as a seasoned crew member throughout the call."

Darren, also a high honor roll student at Cornell, has been offered a full time job at Valley Ambulance after he graduates. He says he intends to accept.

Being an EMT is what Darren says he wants to do with his life, although he came to Parkway with the idea of working as a firefighter. It wasn't until after he started working with Valley that he changed his mind.

Darren served as part of a Parkway team that won second place in a Skills USA contest for Allegheny County high school firefighters and EMTs.

Copeland says it was the first time a team from Parkway competed.

Darren's participation in Parkway's cooperative education program also is a first for the technical school.

Copeland says few schools succeed in getting their public safety students out to work with experienced employees, because many employers in that field believe the students are too immature for the job. However, Parkway maintains a good relationship with the ambulance services and fire departments.

Copeland says the school hopes to place another students with Valley Ambulance next year. He says he believes Darren and other students involvcd in the cooperative education program have set the stage for future students.

The program allows students to have experience on the job so that they can determine whether they really want to pursue a career in that field. It also gives the employers some time with the student before deciding if they wish to hire him full time.

Darren isn't the only public safety student who has participated in an emergency situation.

At the end of March, during the first day on a ride-a-long program with NorthWest EMS, Steve Adomonis, a West Allegheny High School junior, had the opportunity to help an 18-month-old burn victim.

The North Fayette boy had suffered second degree burns over 30 to 35 percent of his body after pulling down a container of hot soup from the stove.

Steve, who also says he wasn't nervous at all, indicated that the mother had tried to soothe the burns with cold water, but with no luck.

Steve's supervisor, Richard Ward, who also wrote a letter of commendation, says Steve handled the situation just right.

"He was very calm and collected. He dressed the wounds, prepared the patient and talked to the mom and dad at the same time. It was the first emergency call he had ever been on."

The child was transferred to Children's Hospital and later to West Penn Burn Unit. He is doing well now with only one small area left to be treated.

NorthWest EMS has been involved in Parkway's Ride-Along program for about three years, but Ward says NorthWest has been allowing the ride-a-longs with interested high school children for senior projects or for information days for about eight years.

Quite a few have been involved in emergency situations, he says, but Ward believes it was a little different with Steve.

"He certainly was the most courteous and one of the most prepared. This was difficult due to the child's fear, pain and screaming, but with the help of my partner and Steve, we were able to properly dress the child's burns."

Because Steve, son of Cindy and Skip Schaal of Imperial and Ray Adomonis of Gree Tree, is a junior, he participated only in the short ride-a-long program.

However, Ward says interested seniors can participate in the cooperative education program, which Steve says he intends to do.

Seniors must be EMT certified by Parkway first, and then they may work with NorthWest or other EMS services full time as a paid employee.

Copeland says Ward and Chris Lawrence of Valley Ambulance also participate on the advisory committee for Parkway's public safety program.

"Darren and Steve have always been good kids with good attitudes," Copeland says, "but once they were out there, it was like flipping a switch to turn boys into men."

For more information on Parkway's public safety program, call Darby Copeland at 412-923-1772, ext. 114.