Effingham, N.H. — July 10 — Randolph Mantooth, best known for playing paramedic Johnny Gage on the television series Emergency!, passed away, according to Effingham NH Fire/Rescue, 1102 Province Lake Road, Effingham, NH 03882. After a protracted illness, Mantooth passed away on July 9 at the age of 80.

Many firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics were motivated to seek careers in emergency services by the series, which exposed millions of viewers to the nascent paramedic profession. Firefighters still attribute the program's success to raising public awareness of emergency medical services (EMS) and bolstering respect for first responders nationwide.