Cordova native wins statewide EMS award

Sgt. Brandon Darby was born and raised in Cordova, South Carolina.

Growing up in a small town, Darby experienced the closeness of community and the importance of family and helping others.

He also had a close relationship with his Aunt Tillie Hunt.

During his childhood, Aunt Tillie had worked for Rural Metro, a private emergency medical services company, and had often shared her experiences with the impressionable young Darby.

Aunt Tillie’s stories of her time in EMS would prove an inspiration to Darby, who embarked on an EMS career– a career in which he currently serves.

“I think if she had not been around, I don’t think I would have went the EMS route,” Darby said. “She was the first person I reached out to.”

Today, Aunt Tillie works as a shift supervisor paramedic with the Orangeburg County EMS.

Darby, who currently works as a paramedic with the Charleston County EMS, has caught the eyes of his peers both on the county level and statewide.

Earlier this year, he was named the 2020 Charleston County Paramedic of the Year.

Darby was voted by his co-workers for the honor.

“I was humbled to be noticed by them as representing the system of Charleston as big as it is,” Darby said. “It was definitely an honor.”

There are currently almost 100 paramedics in Charleston County’s EMS. There are almost 200 employees in the entire Charleston County EMS system. He was presented with the award in March by the Rotary Club of Charleston.

If that was not enough, in January, Darby’s EMS unit won first place at the South Carolina EMS Symposium in Myrtle Beach.

Darby was joined with Michael Bisnett in winning the honor.

Darby and Bisnett participated against five other teams from the four different regions of the state including last year’s state champion, Greenville EMS.

It was the first time Darby and Bisnett had competed.

Darby explained how the competition entailed, having each team being sequestered with an unknown task set before them.

“Nobody told you what the scenario was,” he said, noting each team had a 15-minute scenario requiring the unit to stabilize a patient and to manage a scenario with few resources.

When all was said and done, Darby and Bisnett were being presented with the first-place award by the South Carolina EMS Association.

“That was amazing,” Darby said about winning the state championship. “Words could not describe it.”

The success and recognition are all taken with good-natured humility by Darby.

Darby graduated from Edisto High School in 2004 before entering South Carolina State University.

Despite Aunt Tillie’s mentorship growing up, Darby entered SCSU with an interest in pursuing a degree in education and becoming a teacher.

But Aunt Tillie’s example was never far from his thoughts.

While at SCSU, Darby was introduced to the health services field and switched majors into the Department of Health Sciences. He went on to Denmark Technical College, where he received his initial EMT certificate.

Darby began his EMS career at the age of 23.

He started off working for Orangeburg County EMS in 2010 and enrolled in paramedic school in Savannah where he got certified in paramedics.

He worked with Orangeburg County until 2012. At that time, he joined Dorchester County.

After four years with Dorchester County, Darby joined the Charleston County EMS in 2016.

In his five years with Charleston County EMS, Darby has risen through the ranks and currently serves as a field training officer.

Despite his success, Darby remembers where he came from.

He praises Orangeburg County EMS for helping form him to be the patient care provider he is today and thanked all those who supported him through the years.

Darby continues to have Orangeburg County connections.

Darby’s mother, Ginny, and his sister, Janae, both reside in Orangeburg County. His sister is a rising senior at Edisto High School.

Despite the recent recognitions, being a paramedic has had its challenges.

He has seen horrible car accidents involving teenagers and adolescents.

He has also had happy experiences. One example was when he helped a woman in Dorchester County who was 32 weeks pregnant.

The woman called 911 for help as she was hemorrhaging. Darby and his partner were able to control the bleeding and take the woman to a hospital.

Both mom and baby survived.

“Every day is totally different,” Darby said. “You never know what you will walk into or what kind of calls will come in.”

He said the most challenging part of his EMS career has been during COVID-19.

“Walking into a unknown scenario not knowing if the patient is COVID positive and not knowing if you will bring something home to the family and harm them,” he said. “It was pretty tough overall the past year.”

But Darby said support from friends and family helped him make it through it emotionally.

Darby, who currently lives in Summerville, is married to Lindsey and the couple has two children.

For fun, Darby likes to watch football – he roots for Florida State and Clemson because Lindsey is a fan – and enjoys cooking and playing cornhole with friends on an afternoon off.

He also enjoys catching up on rest that he misses due to his work as a paramedic.

But he laughs that it is becoming harder to find time to rest with two young children.