John Gage (Emergency!)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Gage (aka Johnny Gage) is a fictional character from the NBC / Universal TV series Emergency! (1972-1977). He was portrayed by actor Randolph Mantooth. Gage worked with slightly senior partner Roy DeSoto as a firefighter/paramedic for the Los Angeles County Fire Department and rode "shotgun" in Squad 51. He along with DeSoto were also Dr. Kelly Brackett's competitive friends. Prior to working as a paramedic he worked for the rescue squad at Station 10. Initially against working as a paramedic, he decided to pursue it after a couple of incidents where he felt he could have done more with specialized medical training. He met DeSoto when applying for the new program ("The Wedsworth-Townsend Act") and after graduation decided to partner with him at the newly built Station 51. He and DeSoto would remain partners until the last episode ("Greatest Rescues of Emergency!"), when both would be promoted to captain. Gage, like DeSoto, was then assigned his own station.

Little is mentioned in the series about Gage's life prior to the fire department. In the episode "Peace Pipe" it was brought up that Gage was Native American and grew up on an Indian reservation, though no particular tribe is mentioned (Mantooth himself is half-Seminole).

Gage was single throughout the series, and often dated (or chased after) the E/R nurses at Rampart General Hospital. Intense and professional on the job, Gage's good looks and his impulsive charm away from the job made him a perfect dramatic foil to his more low-key partner. He was also the butt of many of fellow firefighter Chet Kelly's jokes, and often attempted, with varying degrees of success, to get even. Gage was somewhat accident prone (at least compared to his partner), and on few occasions each season he wound up a patient at Rampart General Hospital.