'Emergency!' Star Randy Mantooth Teaches Firefighters About 'Silent Killer'

Dec. 03--More than 35 years ago, "Emergency!" actor Randolph Mantooth was saved by two firefighters. Now he's reaching out to fire departments around the country to raise awareness about the silent killer that nearly took his life.

"I knew I was dying. I just didn't know why," Mantooth told The Log.

In December of 1975, the star suffered a near-fatal dose of carbon monoxide. The toxic fumes were being emitted from a faulty furnace in his Los Angeles home.

"Because of what happened to me, I have made it my mission to learn as much as I can about carbon monoxide, cyanide -- all the 'ides,' " Mantooth said.

More than 100 firefighters from 24 departments across the Florida Panhandle came to Destin this week for a class on Fireground Rehabilitation and Medical Monitoring featuring a carbon monoxide (CO) presentation by the celebrity.

Mantooth has played in several television series including his most popular role as Johnny Gage in "Emergency!," a 1970s series about the paramedic crew of Los Angeles County Fire Department Station 51.

"At that time, I didn't know what a paramedic was," said Mantooth. "I thought it was a like a doctor who parachuted down to sick people."

But after taking a paramedic course and training with firefighters, the actor gained insight into the pre-hospital career field. He even had the chance to fight controlled fires during filming.

"For those of us who have been around long enough, the show had a huge impact," said Destin Fire Control District Medical Division Chief Phil Metz. "It was the reason I took my first EMT class."

According to Mantooth, more than 350 firefighters have died in the line of duty in the past three years; 70 percent of those deaths were unnecessary. First responders are exposed to toxic gases of combustion that are found in ceilings, flooring and walls.

"The easiest way they can prevent CO poisoning is by wearing their masks during overhaul," Mantooth told The Log.

The Destin Fire Control District recently received a grant for three Masimo RAD-57 oximeters that can detect carbon monoxide in the body without blood tests that can take hours to get back.

For Metz, the Masimo RAD-57 is equally as important to the public.

"If we respond to a call, and the patient is showing signs of the flu, we'll more than likely start an IV and give them oxygen... By the time we get them to a hospital and they get their blood tested, the carbon monoxide will have been flushed through their system," he said. "With this non-invasive machine, we can know within seconds what's going on."

For more information about carbon monoxide poisoning, visit thesilentkiller.net.

"With all that equipment on, these firefighters think they can walk through hell," Mantooth said. "But they're not Superman. They're just really brave guys."

Copyright 2011 - The Destin Log, Fla.