On July 11, the Berkeley Heights Fire Department honored Randy Mantooth, the actor best known for playing firefighter-paramedic Johnny Gage on the TV show Emergency!.

At a time when modern paramedicine was still in its infancy, department officials acknowledged the show's contribution to raising public awareness of emergency medical services. Many people were motivated to pursue jobs in fire and emergency medical services by the series, which emphasized the work of paramedics and firemen.

The department also recognized Mantooth's enduring impact on future generations of first responders and his lifetime support of the fire and emergency medical services community.