Emergency!

Emergency! was probably my favorite TV series when I was a young kid. The show ran from 1972-1978, a period in which I was 7-13yrs old.

I used to watch the show and think that if you took away all the blood and gore, the risk of getting burned alive, and all the death-defying rescues you faced on a daily basis…..being a Firefigher/Paramedic looked pretty cool.

Now that I am old and wise (Idiot-wise) I think that the stress of not knowing if the damn fire bell was going to ring in the middle of a good nights sleep, or in the middle of a good dinner,….would have pretty well ruled out that career path for me.

Emergency! was developed by Jack Webb and R.A. Cinader. The show was a spin-off of the popular Police Drama “Adam-12“.

The show detailed the everyday happenings in a Los Angeles County Fire Department Firehouse, Station 51, and a busy Metropolitan Hospital, Rampart General.

The show highlighted the exploits of the Firefighter/Paramedics of Station 51 at a time when such Paramedic programs were just being started around the country.

The show featured:

Kevin Tighe – Firefighter/Paramedic Roy DeSoto
Randolph Mantooth – Firefighter/ Paramedic John Gage
Robert Fuller – Dr. Kelly Brackett
Bobby Troup – Dr. Joe Early
Julie London – Nurse Dixie McCall

The Fire Station depicted in the show as Station 51 was an actual active Fire Station, though it had a different station number than the one used in the show.

The station is still in use today and is located in Carson, California.

The Hospital, Rampart General, was a fictional hospital but the exteriors were shot at Harbor General Hospital in Torrance, Ca. That Hospital is still in use today and is now known as Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

There is an actual station #51 in use today…. As a nod to the cultural impact of the show, the LACFD changed the designation on the fire station located on the grounds of Universal Studios from Station 60 to Station 51 in 1994.

The Paramedics truck, Squad 51, used on the show, is currently housed in the Los Angeles County Firefighters Association Warehouse and is occasionally used for special functions.

Cast members Bobby Troup and Julie London were married in real life.

In case you wondered about his name, Randolph Mantooth is half Seminole Indian.

One of the Engine 51 Firefighters, Mike Stoker, was an actual working LA County Fireman. The producers needed someone who could accurately portray a Fireman AND more important, drive the actual Fire Engine. The remaining Firefighters were actors.

The show spawned an animated spin-off called Emergency! +4 which ran on Saturday Mornings from 1973-1976. (Yes…I watched that show too)

Since the show ended:

Kevin Tighe has gone on to a prolific career on Television and in Films as a Character actor, usually typecast as a Villain. Viewers of the popular ABC show LOST know him as the psychotic, kidney-stealing father of John Locke.

Randolph Mantooth went to appear on Daytime Soaps such as Loving, As the World Turns, and One Life to Live.

Robert Fuller has retired from acting and now resides on a Cattle Ranch in Texas.

Bobby Troup and Julie London have both since passed away.

This was a great show! You can catch the show on DVD or it is often available for free viewing on Hulu.com Hopefully, someday down the road, TV LAND or some other cable channel will resume showing reruns of this Television classic!