This is the link to the Hollywood Reporter obituary of Randolph Mantooth, who died on Thursday at the age of 80.
A sad day for those of us who grew up with him and Kevin Tighe who played Johnny Gage and Roy DeSoto, respectively on the hit television show, Emergency!.
I still hum the music when I’m backing my car into the driveway.
When the show came out, there were only a handful of paramedics. The show was practically a public service announcement for recruitment. The profession was so unknown when Randy was told his role would be as a paramedic, his question was, “what the hell is a paramedic?”
Decades later, we all know how crucial those paramedics and EMTs are in an emergency and the show was integral in expanding that reach. Mantooth and Tighe continued to support the fire service and the LA Fire Museum over the years.
We introduced my oldest son, then three or four years old, to the show in reruns when he was obsessed with fire trucks and fire fighters. He dressed up as one for Halloween when he was four. He visited fire stations wherever we traveled including his uncle’s fire station on Long Island. He even went to college for fire protection/safety and became a volunteer fire fighter and an EMT during and after college. Emergency was a favorite show of his.
A few years ago, he was in California for a training session for his job, and he visited the Los Angeles Fire Museum, and got himself a Squad 51 t-shirt.
Part of the museum’s statement is below:
From Los Angeles County Fire Museum
Thank you Randy for your friendship! You will be sorely missed.
To Randy’s wife Kristen and Randy’s family. We are here for you all and want to thank you for sharing Randy with us and the world.
We are so very sorry for your loss.
The Museum will be accepting condolence cards for the family. If you would like to send a card please send to the Museum’s shop address at:
LA County Fire Museum
9834 Flora Vista St
Bellflower Calif 90706
KMG 365
Griffins and Ginger Snaps 