Continuity mistake: When Roy and Johnny are with the boy who is trapped on the crane, Johnny buckles the life belt around the boy's waist, and in the following shots the belt's direction flips around to the opposite way repeatedly. Note its stitched leather and tongue buckles.
Continuity mistake: At the stationhouse, when DeSoto and Gage are discussing the detective, in the shots facing Gage, DeSoto holds a cup of coffee in his hands, but in the shots facing DeSoto his cup is on the table.
Visible crew/equipment: After John and Roy rescue the elderly man from the burning house, while Roy gets the man's vitals in the closeups, the large 12-light par bank rig is visible behind Roy at the left of the screen.
Answer: I believe you are speaking of the old man, Mr. Wilson. He's played by J. Pat O'Malley.
Bishop73
Correct, it was J. Pat O'Malley...he also played the grandfather with his grandson when their rocket exploded, and also played "Old Bill" in the episode with Ann Prentiss, where Gage saves the little girl from the burning tree house, and her mother falls in love with him.