Trivia: On May 16, 2000, 28 years after the debut of "Emergency!" on television, due to the profound impact "Emergency!" had on the American EMS system, key props and memorabilia from the show were inducted into the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, Division of Cultural History - the Public Service sector, located in Washington, D.C. Some of the items included: Original scripts, Biophone, trauma boxes, defibrillators, monitor, radios, turnout gear, helmets, and Roy's and Johnny's uniforms.
Trivia: A plaque that honors Bob Cinader is mounted on Station 127's wall, outside beside the apparatus bay door. The plaque reads: "Robert A. Cinader's Involvement with the Los Angeles County Fire Department began in 1971 when he filmed a pilot television movie about the county's fledgling paramedic program."Emergency!" aired in 1972 and ran as a prime time show for five years with a weekly audience of 13 million people. The show brought attention and acclaim to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. More importantly, it showed public officials across the nation that lives could be saved by local paramedic programs. As a result, Bob Cinader can be credited for making significant contributions to improving Emergency Medical Services. His Involvement and commitment was so intense, and his study of emergency services so thorough, he became an expert in the field. In 1975, he was appointed to the county's Emergency Medical Services Commission, where he served until his death in 1982. In recognition of his extraordinary public service, on May 28,1985, the board of supervisors voted unanimously to pay special tribute to Bob Cinader by naming Fire Station 127 in Carson, which was used in the filming of "Emergency!", in his honor." Fire Station 127 is named the Robert A. Cinader Memorial Fire Station.
Trivia: The producers had Kevin Tighe and Randolph Mantooth sit in on paramedic classes (with students who were to be future paramedics), and they also went on extensive ride-a-longs with the Los Angeles County Fire Dept, in order for the two actors to have a realistic appearance, and give a believable performance during the scenes. However, the two actors did not take the written exams. They have never been real certified paramedics.
Trivia: Throughout the run of the series, when there's a closeup of Squad 51's Motorola two-way radio unit, notice the spelling mistake on the self-adhesive label that reads "Resue Unit No. 51."
Trivia: When 'Emergency!' originally began, its Executive Producer/creator Bob Cinader stipulated that the show's writers use real-life rescues, that had been logged in real fire stations' logbooks, as the basis for the rescues they depict in their scripts. Cinadar told them that they may use logbooks from any city in the States, not just LA, or LA County, as long as the rescue comes from a fire station's logbook, and is based on reality. In addition, the rescues/stories in the scripts had to conform to the protocols of the LA County Fire Dept, within the environment of Los Angeles. (According to a blog by Randolph Mantooth).
Trivia: This show was so procedurally accurate, that on set there was always a Technical Adviser/Technical Consultant. The Executive Producer gave the TA (who was a real fire fighter/paramedic) the power that if he watched a scene being done, and if it wasn't how LA County would have done it, he was instructed to go to the director and say, "That was done wrong, it was not how we would do it," and then back away to avoid getting into an argument with the director. If the director didn't go back and change the scene, then that director would not be on the show the next week. (From an interview with Randolph Mantooth on The Morning Blend).
Trivia: By early 1971, battalion chief and certified emergency medical technician Jim Page was assigned the responsibility to coordinate and implement the Los Angeles Countywide Paramedic Rescue Services program. On May 11, 1971, at Fire Station 7 on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, Jim Page met with producer, Robert Cinadar, who was interested in developing a TV show based on the L.A. Fire Department's emerging Paramedic Rescue Services. When Emergency! premiered in 1971, there were only about a dozen paramedic units across the U.S., but soon after, the show brought recognition of the Paramedic program to viewers in U.S. and ultimately around the world. The realistic rescues on the TV show were widely praised and were used as instructional material by many fire departments, and by 1973, Congress passed the EMS Systems Act which gave financial support for the development and improvement of EMS. Jim Page served as technical consultant and writer of the show, for two years. The character name, John Gage was an homage to Jim Page.
Trivia: Season, 1 episode 11, 'Hang up': At the start of this episode, since the guys at the station house must go on a call right in the middle of watching an episode of Adam 12, DeSoto and particularly Gage try to inquire about that episode's conclusion. Adam 12 is another show by Emergency's creator, Jack Webb.
Trivia: In most episodes over the entire run of the show, Randolph Mantooth's cigarette pack is visible in his front left shirt pocket, even though the character never once lit or took a drag from a cigarette.
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.