Another teenager quickly bound the woman's arm with bandages and applied pressure to stop the bleeding.

"The bleeding will stop," the teen assured her. "It's going to be OK."

And it was.

Because the woman wasn't actually hurt.

And the teens had actually applied the first aid skills they learned in the junior paramedic program outside the classroom.

"This class gives me a better idea of what (paramedics) really do," said Joshua Yeager, 18, of Ka'a'awa, who wants to be either a paramedic or a firefighter — preferably both. "You see them in ambulances, but you don't really get to see what they're doing in detail."

Yeager is among 20 teens who are enrolled in the city's first junior paramedic class this summer. The four-week program, sponsored by the Honolulu Emergency Medical Services division, offers a hands-on approach to learning everything from checking vitals to bandaging wounds and transporting immobilized victims.

By the end of the four weeks, the teens will all be certified in first aid and CPR — and armed with life-saving skills.

"The purpose of this program is to make people aware of what we do," said six-year paramedic and course instructor Ian Santee. "It gives some youths the opportunity to do something different, and it might make a difference in saving lives."

The teens learn life-saving skills in the classroom, then apply what they've learned in "real-life" situations on Fridays. Each week the skills become more advanced.

Last Friday they bandaged, splinted and "rescued" injured hikers — actually volunteer paramedics and emergency medical technicians — on a muddy and slippery Nu'uanu Judd Trail.

The teens found an "injured" hiker at the bottom of a gulch, moaning in pain. While one group hiked down to assist him, Chad Lau pulled out some rope he had packed in his backpack — "just in case," he said — to help the group back up the slippery slope.

Lau, 18, plans to take emergency medical technician, or EMT, courses at Kapi'olani Community College, though he's more interested in becoming a firefighter. He was one of the 4,090 people who applied for a city firefighter job last week.

Kyleigh Nakasone signed up for the class, but not because she wants to be a paramedic.

"I just wanted to take the class for more awareness, in case something does happen," said Nakasone, 17, of McCully, who plans on studying either dentistry or nursing in college. "The class is really fun, it's really helpful, everything is new to me ... I didn't really know anything (about being a paramedic). It's a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. It's really technical and medical."

Paramedics, also called mobile intensive-care technicians, have more than 1,500 hours of college-accredited training in advanced life support services and invasive medical techniques. To maintain their licenses from the state Board of Medical Examiners, paramedics must attend at least 72 hours of retraining and continuing medical education courses every two years.

Each year on O'ahu, the 168 paramedics and EMTs respond to more than 66,000 calls on medical emergencies and traumatic injuries. They treat injured hikers, respond to car accidents, even deliver babies.

"People don't realize how complex our system is and our jobs are," said Donnie Gates, assistant chief at EMS. "What they need to know is that we have an extremely dedicated group of individuals who work very hard and under very strenuous situations. They're out there every day, doing a remarkable job ... This program will give (teens) an in-depth view of what it's really like to be a pre-hospital care provider."

The hard work and stress management required to be a paramedic haven't dampened Yeager's enthusiasm about the job.

And since he already teaches first aid and CPR for American Medical Response — it also helps that his father is a veteran firefighter — Yeager feels up for the challenge.

"I like it because you're the first ones there, you have the most responsibility," Yeager said. "It's fast-paced, you get a lot of action ... and in high-stress situations. I like that. It's a good mix."

Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8103.