Meet the Team
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Randolph Mantooth
Randolph Mantooth can move back and forth between two dramatically different worlds - one, a world of “make believe,” and the other a world as hard-core reality as it gets - and be as at home in one as the other. A working actor in television, documentaries, theater, and film for thirty-six years, Mantooth is as well known – if not better known – to firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs as the man who inspired, and continues to inspire, their careers. His role as LA County Firefighter/Paramedic Johnny Gage on the 1970s television series EMERGENCY! not only changed the lives of countless young viewers, it changed the course of his life as well. Today, thirty years and many acting roles later, he’s still known in the “fire” world as the most recognized firefighter in America. For over 20 years, Randy has spoken across the United States advocating on behalf of firefighter and Paramedic issues.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Kevin Tighe
Kevin Tighe graduated with an M.F.A. in Performing Arts from the University of Southern California. Weeks later, he appeared in Design For Living at the Ahmanson Theatre with Maggie Smith. On the heels of that performance, he was tagged by Jack Webb to play the role of Roy DeSoto through seven seasons of EMERGENCY! Since the end of that run, his film credits include Matewan, Eight Men Out, Road House, Newsies, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, and I Love A Man In Uniform, the latter for which he received the Genie award for Best Supporting Actor. Theatre roles range from Bengal Tiger at The Bagdad Zoo at the Mark Taper Forum to A Skull in Connemara at the Roundabout in New York. On television, he has appeared in numerous roles, including the slaughtered patriarch in the Hallmark production of In Cold Blood and the fingerless card shark in Tales of the Crypt. Kevin was honored to participate as a Keynote Speaker in a Celebration of 50 years of EMS, in recognition for his work on EMERGENCY! and its impact on the global community.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Steve Buscemi
Steve Buscemi is a former FDNY firefighter and award-winning actor, writer, director, and producer. His credits include films like Reservoir Dogs, Fargo, and The Big Lebowski. His television credits include starring in HBO's Boardwalk Empire, Miracle Workers, The Sopranos, and memorable guest appearances on shows like 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. His directing work includes the films Trees Lounge and Interview, as well as TV credits including The Sopranos, 30 Rock, Nurse Jackie, Portlandia, and Love. Buscemi’s latest directorial effort, The Listener, starring Tessa Thompson, world premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival before making its way to Tribeca for its North American premiere. He recently joined the cast of the hit Netflix series Wednesday, and recently finished Martin McDonagh’s next film Wild Horse Nine for Fox Searchlight.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Wren Arthur
Wren Arthur is a two-time Emmy-winning producer/filmmaker/actress. She began her producing career working alongside legendary filmmaker Robert Altman, producing Sundance Channel’s landmark narrative series Tanner on Tanner and Picturehouse’s A Prairie Home Companion. Wren then formed Olive Productions with Steve Buscemi. Past Olive Productions projects include the Emmy-winning web series Park Bench with Steve Buscemi, the Emmy-winning documentary Medora, the HBO documentary A Good Job: Stories of the FDNY, and Sony Classics’ Puzzle. Recent projects include The Listener, directed by Steve Buscemi and starring Tessa Thompson, and the Brainstorm Media release of Tribeca Festival Audience Winner Psycho Therapy.
DIRECTOR / PRODUCER
Tom Putnam
Tom Putnam is an award-winning director, producer, and editor who specializes in telling the stories of first responders. His past short films and features have played more than 500 film festivals, from Sundance to Cannes, been released theatrically worldwide, and have received more than 50 major awards. His Detroit firefighting documentary BURN is one of the most successful documentaries of all-time, won the Audience Award at the Tribeca Film Festival, and raised more than $250,000 of much-needed firefighting equipment through the Leary Firefighters Foundation. Other recent projects include BURN X, for which he filmed the Detroit Fire Department over the past 10 years, and supervising producer on Dick Wolf’s LA Fire and Rescue series for NBC. His fiction films include the award-winning comedy/adventure film The Dark Divide, starring David Cross and Debra Messing, with music by The Avett Brothers and Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic. His most recent documentary, The United States of Insanity, opened in more than 600 theaters throughout the United States. BURN, The Dark Divide, and The United States of Insanity all have a coveted "100% Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California with degrees in Cinematic Arts and Journalism.
PRODUCER
Tonya Mantooth
A 10-time Regional Emmy award winner with more than 60 International Telly and ADDY awards, Tonya is a highly regarded film producer in Southern California. She began her career as an Executive Producer when she became Director of Acquisitions for CRM Films. Tonya co-founded and was President of The Dakota Group, an award-winning film and post-production company in Southern California. She has produced National TV Campaigns and award-winning documentaries for Fortune 500 companies. In 2007, Tonya launched Mantooth Studios. Under Mantooth Films, Tonya Executive Produced four feature films, including Grave Secrets, which became the pilot to the Nickelodeon series Dead Time Stories. In 2012, Tonya took over the San Diego International Film Festival. Today, as the festival’s CEO and Artistic Director, she has grown the festival more than 500% and it is now considered an important stop on the festival circuit.
PRODUCER
Dr. Baxter Larmon PhD, MICP
Dr. Larmon is currently a professor of emergency medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and Emeritus Director of the UCLA Center for Prehospital Care. He has been actively involved in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for more than 45 years. Dr. Larmon is also a prolific researcher; he has more than 100 journal publications, four textbooks, and more than 35 video productions to his name. He has won both of the premier Faculty Awards at the David Geffen School of Medicine; The Golden Apple Award and the Award for Excellence in Education.
PRODUCER
Steve P. Martin, Assistant Fire Chief (Ret.) Los Angeles County Fire Department
Steve P. Martin is a veteran of the United States Air Force, and has enjoyed a 38-year career in the fire service, with more than 30 of those years with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Steve graduated from the J. Michael Criley Paramedic Training Institute at Harbor/UCLA in 1988, and was a certified Paramedic for the next 10 years of his career. In 2001, Steve was recognized by the County of Los Angeles as the recipient of the Award of Merit as well as County Volunteer of the Year for his introduction of the Fire Department’s Public Education Program.
CO-PRODUCER
Dr. Richard Carmona, 17th Surgeon General of the United States
Dr. Carmona began his career in medicine as a Special Forces medic. For more than 50 years, he has worked in various positions in the medical field, including as a paramedic, a registered nurse, and a trauma surgeon. Dr. Carmona has also served for more than 28 years with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department in Tucson, Arizona, including as deputy sheriff, detective, SWAT team leader, and department surgeon. In 2002, he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate with a vote of 98-0 to be the 17th Surgeon General of the United States. Dr. Carmona is currently vice chairman of the Canyon Ranch resort and spa company, president of the non-profit Canyon Ranch Institute, and a professor at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona. On June 16, 2010, the Ross University School of Medicine named Carmona to its Board of Trustees.