Randy Mantooth recovering from cancer, starred in 70s show EMERGENCY!

[garn9173]

Still remains my all time favorite show. Little known fact, to make the show as realistic as possible, prior to the beginning of production, both Randy & Kevin (the actor who played Roy DeSoto) went through the full blown paramedic training program. If you check out Randy’s Facebook page, he speaks all over the country at fire & EMS conferences.

goheroes.us/last-alarm/randy-mantooth-recovering-from-cancer-starred-in-70s-show-emergency

Randolph Mantooth, the 69 year-old former star of the 1970s hit TV show EMERGENCY! has shared he was recently diagnosed with cancer and has begun the recovery process. Best known as Fireman/Paramedic John Gage on the program, he has since been an ardent supporter of firefighters and public safety. He is one of the few individuals considered a ‘brother’ by responders even though he never officially worked in emergency services.

Hey everyone,

"I know I’ve been absent from social media for a long time now, so I want to start by thanking my fans and followers for hanging in there with me. Your unfailing loyalty never ceases to amaze me. It means more to me than you’ll ever know.

Earlier this year, I was diagnosed with cancer, and I decided to share that news with only a small circle of family and friends, who respected and honored my request for privacy, and were there to help every step of the way.

It pleases me to say that I have successfully completed treatment and have begun the long recovery process. I am feeling stronger every day and am focusing now on getting back to my normal life as quickly as I can.

These past few weeks and months have been very difficult for my family. On August 26th, we lost my sister Nancy Jean Mantooth Dehoyos to her own long battle with cancer. Though it wasn’t easy, I feel blessed I was able to spend time with her in Houston and had the opportunity to say goodbye to her just before her passing.

I can’t promise you all that I’ll be writing blogs or posting regularly on Facebook again anytime soon. But, believe me, your continued patience and good wishes are so much appreciated.

I’ll let you all know when I’m back on the road again! You’ll see my signals flashing.

Thank you and God bless you all.

Randy

 

[CatholicFireman]

Emergency! is one of the reasons I got interested in the job in the first place. It’s still on MeTV weeknights. Speedy recovery, Randy.

 

[7_Sorrows]

I have been trying to watch this show every afternoon.
I loved to watch it when it was originally on.

I am sorry to hear he has had such a rough time losing his sister to cancer while he himself was battling cancer. I wish him good health and a speedh recovery. I am sorry to hear his sister lost her battle with cancer. So he is grieving her death.

To watch Emergency now it seems so old fashioned and cheezy. Those staged car accidents with those big cars that look like they came from the junkyard. None of the accident victims looked like real accident victims. in its day, though, this was real drama.

 

[CatholicFireman]

To watch Emergency now it seems so old fashioned and cheezy. Those staged car accidents with those big cars that look like they came from the junkyard. None of the accident victims looked like real accident victims. in its day, though, this was real drama.

You can imagine what it’s like for me to watch it! I still enjoy seeing all the old celebrities that had small roles in the episodes. It’s nice to know it has a cult following.

 

[garn9173]

To watch Emergency now it seems so old fashioned and cheezy. Those staged car accidents with those big cars that look like they came from the junkyard. None of the accident victims looked like real accident victims. in its day, though, this was real drama.

Isn’t that the truth! The stock footage from season 2 used in season 6 of Johnny & Roy going to the squad when being called out with short hair and on scene, the “caveman” hair do.

Then all of the production “goofs”, like in one eposide in Season 5, they go out on a fire call in the middle of the night with just a t-shirt to go along with their bunk gear and on scene, instead of the white t-shirts, they are their blue uniform shirts under the bunk gear.

Emergency! is one of the reasons I got interested in the job in the first place. It’s still on MeTV weeknights. Speedy recovery, Randy.

Growing up in the 80’s, I wanted to be one of 3 things: farmer, TV weather geek or a FF/Paramedic and you can thank Emergency! for that.

 

[CatholicFireman]

When I was just starting out in the fire service, I was a young airman in CA (an AF firefighter), my civilian captain (and my mentor) hooked me up to ride along with his friend who was a FF/Paramedic with the City of Napa FD. It was so weird and exciting because everything was just like the show: the squad, the clothing. The paramedics were also the rescuemen. I’ll never forget that shift.

 

[garn9173]

When I was just starting out in the fire service, I was a young airman in CA (an AF firefighter), my civilian captain (and my mentor) hooked me up to ride along with his friend who was a FF/Paramedic with the City of Napa FD. It was so weird and exciting because everything was just like the show: the squad, the clothing. The paramedics were also the rescuemen. I’ll never forget that shift.

It is amazing how many were inspired by Emergency! to be a FF or paramedic. For those who don’t know the history of the show, when Emergency! began production, the paramedic program was in its infancy and the show helped fuel the growth of paramedics.

Another show fact that many may not know, Station 51 used in the show is an actual working fire station that is still in service today: youtube.com/watch?v=M5DQ5JpvVqg

In addition, Stoker was an actual firefighter who drove and operated an engine in real life. The producers of the show wanted someone who actually knew what he was doing and Capt. Hammer in season one was an actual cap with the LA County Fire Dept.

 

[CatholicFireman]

There is a good interview with Randy Mantooth where he said they had to go through the actually academy and after the series wrapped up a chief told him that he would have to go through the academy again, but he would guaranty him a job if he wanted it. He said it was a very tough decision for him to make.

youtube.com/watch?v=_Vxk5m69uOs

 

[CatholicFireman]

For anyone interested. emergencyfans.com/

 

[7_Sorrows]

You can imagine what it’s like for me to watch it! I still enjoy seeing all the old celebrities that had small roles in the episodes. It’s nice to know it has a cult following.

lots of celebrities appeared. some when they were nobodies!

 

[7_Sorrows]

There is a good interview with Randy Mantooth where he said they had to go through the actually academy and after the series wrapped up a chief told him that he would have to go through the academy again, but he would guaranty him a job if he wanted it. He said it was a very tough decision for him to make.

youtube.com/watch?v=_Vxk5m69uOs

thanks that is a good interview. that might have been done shortly before the tragic Arizona wildfire that killed almost 20 firefighters.
Randy was handsome on Emergency and still handsome.

 

[hwriggles4]

For anyone interested. emergencyfans.com/

CatholicFireman:

Good to find another firefighter. Emergency! was one thing that got me interested in the job. Several firefighters who were kids in the 70’s were inspired, as were some older folks. Most firefighters who are now between 45 and 65 remember the show, and when I have watched it recently - it’s with a different perspective. I laugh a little seeing a red cross on an ambulance, and in some of the first season episodes, Johnny and Roy even use glass IV bottles. That “orange box” and the defibrillator were really heavy too!

I came on in 1987 as a volunteer (went to EMT school shortly after high school graduation) and ended up “retiring” in 1994 when I graduated from college. I tried to become a paid FF/EMT a few times, and ended up going back to college (I wasn’t big enough to pass quite a few physicals, and I had an eye problem). I found I enjoyed EMS more than I did working on the engine, and when I returned to college full-time, I didn’t have time to do both, and our department allowed us to either be “straight fire”, “straight EMS” or “cross-trained”, so I went to just “straight EMS.”

This show is a legend in public education. A critic for a local Los Angeles area newspaper said it was going to be a real Emergency! to find a replacement for Emergency!, and the show ran for six years. At the time, very few cities had a paramedic program, and people watched the show wondering why these guys weren’t in their neighborhood. *Emergency! * was “a little accident of history that influenced EMS more than any other program”. By 1982, more than half of all Americans were within 10 minutes of a paramedic. That simply would not have happened, without the impact of Emergency!

 

[CatholicFireman]

It definitely inspired me when I was young, that and the book Report From Engine Company 82. I became a firefighter in the Air Force and was stationed in California. My captain at the time had a friend who was a medic in the Napa fire department and arrainged a ride along for me. I was amazed at how similar they were (equipment, roles of the medics, etc.) to what I thought was a typical “Hollywood show”. Thirty three years and three fire departments later I still look fondly (and chuckle) at the series and admire how Randy supports firefighters to this day.

Nice to meet you, hwriggles4.