Posted on 07/11/2026 5:41:38 AM PDT by V_TWIN
Randolph Mantooth, the actor best known for playing firefighter-paramedic Johnny Gage on NBC’s hit 1970s series “Emergency!,” has died. He was 80.
Mantooth died Thursday at a hospice facility in Ventura, Calif., after a long illness, his brother Donald Mantooth told The Hollywood Reporter.
Mantooth shot to fame in 1972 when he was cast as Johnny Gage on “Emergency!,” the NBC drama that introduced the profession of paramedics to millions of viewers.
He starred alongside Kevin Tighe on the series, which ran for six seasons, and performed most of his own stunts.
The actor later reprised his role as Gage on shows including “Adam-12” and remained a longtime advocate for firefighters, paramedics and EMTs.
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Thank you very much and God bless you,
Jim
RIP sir, and thank you for being part of my positive childhood TV memories. 👍🙏
-
The following Emergency TV series main cast are still alive:
Robert Fuller (Dr Brackett)
Ron Pinkard (Dr Morton)
Kevin Tighe (Paramedic Roy DeSoto)
Marco Lopez (Fireman Marco Lopez)
Mike Stoker (Fireman Mike Stoker)
Marco Lopez was Jack Webb’s stand-in on Dragnet and also played a police office on some Adam-12 episodes. He was also Elvis Presley’s stand-in in Love Me Tender (1956). Off screen, he was a chef and cooked meals for his fellow castmates.
Mike Stoker was a real-life LAFD fireman/engineer. He had a SAG card and was authorized to drive LAFD firetrucks. The LAFD would not allow a non-firefighter to drive a firetruck on the show. After the show ended, Stoker was promoted to LAFD captain. He worked for the LAFD for 30 years. His grandson is currently a LAFD firefighter.
Robert Fuller has a 28-acre horse ranch near Gainsville, TX on the Texas/Oklahoma border. His wife Jennifer Savidge played a judge on several JAG episodes.
I watch Emergency when I can and still can’t get over some of the stunts - and with only hemp rope a safety belt and a big carabiner. How in the world did they do some of those scenes? Here’s one that sticks with me: https://youtu.be/ArzyL-U_LQY?si=1M8Oq4tC4zDQC1th
I remember that episode.
I became a real life(?) Firefighter about this time, loved the job more than eating or chasing women. Bless the family and thanks for the memories brother.
Notice how skinny they all are compared to actors today?
Now that you mention it, maybe there is something to that. Acceptable physical requirements for TV “role models”, especially in these Jack Webb shows, must have been stringent enough to rule out anyone that would have an unhealthy onscreen appearance. Even some of the crooks looked good!
I worked with state and regionsl EMS development programs in the early 1970s. The TV show Emergency definitely raised public awareness for improved prehospital care and medics Johhny and Roy were the inspiration for generations of EMTs and Paramedics. RIP Randy Mantooth.
“Rampart, Rampart”
Yes, RIP and condolences to his family & friends. Great times, still shows on MeTV.
The wife and I watch Emergency! every night at 5:00 on MeTV. Seen all the episodes a number of times. Ol Gage always had a scheme for something.
RIP Randy it was a good show and inspired a lot of people. I enjoyed the show but if you had told me in high skrool that I would spend a career in fire/EMS, I would have laughed in your face.
One of the things I found humorous was how easily they were transmitting EKG’s to the hospital. We were still fighting that battle in the ‘90’s!
If you enjoyed the show “Emergency” it’s worth also watching the movie “Mother, Jugs and Speed” because it’s a pretty good representation of what it was like during the early days.
Just what the world needs, MORE redundancy.
Randolph Mantooth, Firefighter-Paramedic Johnny Gage on ‘Emergency!,’ Dies at 80
7/10/2026, 6:12:51 PM · by Round Earther · 55 replies
Hollywood Reporter ^ | 7/10/26 | Mike Barnes
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