What started as a normal day of studying in the fall of 2025 turned into a real-life emergency for two Parkway South seniors training to become EMTs at South Tech.

While in class, the students were suddenly called into action when a substitute teacher suffered a serious fall on campus.

Seniors Jack Wright and Luke Wohldmann, enrolled in the Firefighter/EMS program at South Tech, were in a garage classroom when they heard students yelling up a steep hill for help.

“At first, we thought it was a little bit of a joke, but when the yelling started to get more serious and more consistent, that’s when I figured it was probably not a joke,” Wright said.

The two, along with other classmates in the EMT program, ran toward the scene after a substitute teacher tripped, fell down a steep hill, hit his head, and rolled into nearby brush. The students immediately began providing first aid until paramedics arrived.

“I just reacted and started running up the hill with my classmates,” Wohldmann said.

When they arrived, the situation was clearly serious, according to Wright.

“I could tell something was wrong,” Wright said. “The adrenaline definitely started going.”

Despite the intensity of the moment, both students said their training took over.

“I was nervous for a second,” Wohldmann said, “but then the training took over once we saw the scene and that someone needed help.”

Their first priority was safety. Before stepping in, the students scanned the area. Wohldmann said he focused on stabilizing the injured teacher, carefully holding his neck to prevent movement and further injury.

“In class, it’s all fake, and we know it,” Wohldmann said. “But out there it was real, and we had to help.”

For Wright, the moment felt fast-paced but manageable.

“It definitely did kind of speed up,” Wright said. “But once I took a deep breath and took in everything that was going on, I was able to get into a ‘flow state’ and actually do what I was trained to do.”

Both students agreed that staying calm was key.

“Just breathing in and out and making sure I don’t get worked up helps a lot,” Wohldmann said.

Wright said teamwork made a major difference.

“I had other people there from class I could bounce ideas off of. The teamwork aspect really helped,” Wright said.

Looking back, both students said they are most proud of how well they worked together under pressure.

“How calm we all stayed–we were working together and communicating very well,” Wohldmann said.

Wright said the experience strengthened both students’ commitment to careers in emergency medical services.

“It solidified my choice,” Wright said. “I’m ready for this. This is what I want to do.”

Wohldmann agreed.

“If anything, it made me want to do it more and help as many people as I can,” Wohldmann said.