REMEMBERING JOHNNY GAGE
“People tell me this all the time… they come up to me and say, ‘You’re my hero,’ I say no. I’m just the face. You’re the body. You do the work. You’re on the front line. Believe me, when I tell you from the bottom of my heart — if you’re a firefighter… an EMT… a paramedic — you’re my hero.” - Randolph Mantooth.
Today’s blog post is dedicated to actor Randolph Mantooth who played Los Angeles County Firefighter/Paramedic John Gage on the 1970’s TV show Emergency! Not only did he portray a paramedic, he became a staunch advocate of the fire and emergency medical services professions. Randolph passed away at the age of 80 on July 9th, 2026. Rest in Peace Johnny Gage.
A friend of mine Mark and me have created a podcast named Sunday Gravy Radio. Our most recent episode is dedicated to Mr. Mantooth, how Emergency inspired countless humans to become firefighters and paramedics, and additional material about retired LA County Battalion Chief James O. Page who was instrumental in shaping emergency medical services as we know it today. I invite you all to please listen to our latest episode. Until next time -
Namaste,
Tim
P.S. Beginning in September, I will be sharing my mental health origin story in several post installments.
Please click on the link below to access the show episode: