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Fifty Years Later, the Legacy of "Emergency!" Lives On
Very few manmade creations have withstood the test of time, like the Great Wall of China, The Roman Colosseum, or Stonehenge.
However, one modern creation seems to have not only stood the test of time, but has helped define who we are, set us on a path to the future, and made a mark on society that is still well defined, years after its original purpose has vanished.
This creation is not one of brick and mud, wooden stakes, or even sarsen stones, but of a 20th century technology known as television.
The TV show "Emergency!" was introduced to viewing audiences across America in 1972. By all accounts it was destined for failure. It was an hour-long broadcast when almost everything else at the time was 30 minutes in duration. And which genre did it fall into? Was it a drama, comedy, or documentary?
"Emergency!" was a midseason replacement on NBC for two failed comedies. Worse, it was slotted on Saturday night, up against the most popular show in American television at the time, "All in the Family."
More Than Entertainment
“The Show’” as it’s known to many of its fans was centered around a new program in California known as paramedics. It focused predominantly on paramedics John Gage and Roy DeSoto.
Producers Jack Webb (Dragnet and Adam 12) and Bob Cinader created a program that followed the crew of the fictitious Station 51 as they went about their shifts and their lives, responding to life-threatening emergencies and interacting with the medical staff at (also fictitious) Rampart General Hospital.
But as the show’s throngs of fans will tell you, it was more than just entertainment. It was a well-documented chronology of the birth and development of the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s paramedic program. The story of the show’s development and its folklore is well known, but its legacy, and the mark it made on society, cannot be dismissed.
Throughout its eight-season run the show not only gained a worldwide audience but became the very foundation for what would become today’s field of prehospital emergency medicine.
Susan Walsh, an "Emergency!" fanatic with no fire or emergency service background, moderates a Facebook group titled "Emergency!: The TV Show." Walsh recalls at a young age watching an episode involving a young girl. “Her situation was very similar to mine,” Walsh shares. “I remember Roy being very kind to her. It struck a chord with me and I’ve been a huge fan ever since.”
Walsh, along with her 23,000+ followers, posts photos, comments and memories about the show. While "Emergency!" was originally recorded using film, thanks to Susan, its history and folklore are now preserved digitally.
50th Anniversary Event
In August 2022, following a January cancellation due to the COVID pandemic, hundreds of Walsh’s followers and other "Emergency!" fans gathered just outside of Los Angeles in the small town of Cerritos to celebrate the 50th anniversary of “The Show.”
The weekend, organized and hosted by the Los Angeles County Fire Museum, featured a series of scheduled and unscheduled events. The highlight would be the opportunity to meet the show’s principal stars, Kevin Tighe (DeSoto) and Randolph (Randy) Mantooth (Gage).
Museum staff generously opened their doors and welcomed guests for tours, stories, and a walk through California’s fire service history. The museum houses a broad collection of antique fire equipment including old steamers and rare firefighting apparatus. But the crown jewels of the museum are the perfectly preserved Squad 51s, both the Ward-LaFrance and Crown Engine 51 models, the Suburban ambulance seen in the early episodes, and Jim Page’s panel truck in which he traveled the country spreading the “gospel” of fire-based EMS.
The true treasures of the museum are its docents. Most of these men were among the first paramedics for Los Angeles County. Gary Davis, whose license number is 3, served as a technical advisor for the show. (Davis’ story is featured in the June edition of EMS World.)
No trip to the museum would be complete without a stop at the restoration shop. Located just behind the museum, the corrugated metal warehouse is now where the meticulous restoration of all the antique fire apparatus takes place.
A third “must-see” for weekend attendees was a trip to Fire Station 127, where the show was filmed. The fictitious Station 51 is still a working fire station in Carson City. The station represented the latest in 1970s architecture and hasn’t changed at all. “We aren’t allowed to change anything,” said the on-duty captain at the station. There is even a small display dedicated to "Emergency!" on the apparatus floor.
During filming of the show the outside was clearly marked “LA County Fire Station 51.” Today it carries the “127” designation but also pays homage to Bob Cinader, the show’s creator. The modern trucks assigned to the station are adorned with markings that say “127–Home of The Show.”
But time has taken its toll. The original wall maps are faded and barely legible and the 1970s-style paneling shows its age. Asked whether the iconic dispatch tones are still used, a young firefighter confessed, “I’ve never seen the show.”
Meeting the Legends
The true highlight of the weekend for many attendees was the chance to meet the original stars of the show. Through purchased tickets, guests could get two autographed items. The line to enter the autograph room was filled with fans carrying "Emergency!" memorabilia from photos and coloring books to lunch boxes and even the original board game.
There was a small collection of recently made bronze castings of the two paramedics in their classic kneeling pose using the Biophone. Some attendees even wore uniforms from the show complete with name badges and Station 51 fire helmets.
The weekend culminated with a closing program at the Cerritos Center moderated by Randy’s sister Tanya Mantooth, a multi-Emmy award winner in her own right. Ticketed attendees were treated to 2 ½ hours of conversation, memories, images, and film clips.
During the pre-show reception, attendees reminisced over portraits of the actors that adorned the lobby. Many were still heartbroken over the death of Johnny’s on-screen antagonist, Chet Kelley, played by Tim Donnelly, who died suddenly in 2021.
As part of the performance, Mantooth, Tighe, Gary Davis, Dr. Ron Stewart, and Hannah Shearer, one of the show’s original writers, shared anecdotes about making the show.
One of the most lingering 50-year-old questions was why Johnny never drove the squad. The truth was finally revealed when Mantooth laughingly admitted that scenes of the truck being driven were often shot at one time. He recalled how the script for a particular day’s shooting called for him to drive, with very few lines. With no lines to memorize and no real action except driving the truck, the young actor decided to go out the night before. “I had a good time that night,” he admitted. “A really good time.” He explained that the next morning he was so hung over he could barely keep his head up, much less drive the truck. Any shots calling for Mantooth to drive were lost in that moment.
Tighe and Mantooth bantered about Kevin’s fear of heights and Randy’s dislike of water, recalling two episodes in which the actors had to face those fears. The stories generated raucous laughter from the theater-filled crowd.
Enduring Legacy
As we know today, “The Show” extended far beyond the world of television. "Emergency!" changed the world of medicine and saving lives forever.
During a previous interview this author asked Mantooth whether the show’s stars and creators had any idea the impact it would have. “Are you kidding? We didn’t think we’d make it through the first season,” he said. “When the show was inducted into the Smithsonian, under the category of American History, is when I finally understood what we had done.”
Anyone who’s ever benefited from the skilled hands of a paramedic and those of us who made it our career owe an immeasurable debt of gratitude to the names forever emblazoned on the compartment doors of Squad 51.
A line from the song “Our Love is Here to Stay” declares, “The Rockies may tumble, Gibraltar may crumble…” As for Stonehenge, The Great Wall, and "Emergency!", they are a part of world history, forever preserved for current and future generations to cherish.
"Emergency!" is available on CoziTV and fans can also visit Susan Walsh’s Facebook page.
Joel Gordon, MS, RN, NREMT-P, CFO, MPIO, is deputy chief for the Plantation (FL) Fire Department. He is a firefighter, paramedic, and registered nurse, and has served as battalion chief and public information officer with the department since 1996.
Comments
I was part of the Universal TV publicity Dept. Used to work on Emergency! It was great fun. Loved being part of it. Ironically today I am an EMT. I’m a film/TV set medic in Hollywood. Emergency set the tone for many great careers.
—Linda Simeone