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The cast of Emergency! went on a ride-along with real paramedics to prepare for the show
"Cinader said we’re not going to lie to people, but we’re not going to scare them either."
While there's always a suspension of disbelief when we watch television, some television crews take extra pains to ensure that the information they're sharing with the audience is as accurate as possible.
With a deep respect for the law, the writers of the show Emergency! worked hard to ensure that they were telling a true story.
During an interview with The Tolucan Times, Randolph Mantooth, one of the stars of Emergency! explained the process of preparing for the series. Mantooth, who played firefighter/paramedic John Gage, went through some heavy preparation to take on the role, including accompanying actual paramedics on ride-alongs.
"When Emergency! first started, Bob Cinader, who created and produced the show said, 'We’re not going to make anything up; we have to get all the rescues from real firemen’s logs,'" said Mantooth. "Hollywood always feels like they can do it better and the fans always tell me they just want to see the immediacy of what really happens, the truth. Emergency! was one of the first procedural shows; we had to take the course to become paramedics and there was always a technical advisor/real firefighter on the set."
Real-life typically pales in comparison to television, but Mantooth's ride-along wasn't lacking in any potential danger.
"My first rescue I went on after we had gone through paramedic class had me dumbstruck," he said. "I couldn’t move or speak...A little boy had just been run over on his bike; scared to death he asked, 'Am I going to die?' The captain smiled, 'No buddy, not on my watch.' I saw that little boy get better right before my very eyes; verbal placebo."
Mantooth credited one of the show's creators, Robert Cinader, for the attention to detail on Emergency!
"Cinader said we’re not going to lie to people [on the show], but we’re not going to scare them either," he said. "A lot of adlibbing was also allowed so you had to really be into your role or you wouldn’t make sense."
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