What happens when the stars of the television series that introduced America to paramedicine decide it’s time to tell the real story?
In this episode of EMS One-Stop, Rob Lawrence is joined by EMS pioneer Dr. Baxter Larmon and award-winning filmmaker Tom Putnam to discuss Into the Unknown: The Paramedics’ Journey.
Born from the vision of Emergency! stars Randolph Mantooth and Kevin Tighe, and backed by Steve Buscemi, the documentary follows paramedics, dispatchers, volunteers, flight crews and their families across America, revealing the realities of modern EMS. From Baton Rouge to Sparks, from volunteer rescue squads in Virginia, to helicopter rescue teams in California, the film explores not only what paramedics do, but what the job does to them.
The conversation examines workforce shortages, mental health, resilience, public misunderstanding of EMS, and the role the film could play in educating communities, policymakers and future generations.
The episode also explores the documentary’s Kickstarter campaign and plans for worldwide release. If Emergency! introduced America to paramedics 50 years ago, Into the Unknown seeks to explain the people behind the uniform.
Notable quotes
- “One of the things that I’m probably most proud about in the movie is that these first responders are now allowing their family members and their friends to be able to see what they go through every single day.” — Dr. Baxter Larmon
- “The call volume, I mean, they used to sit in the station, they’d joke in the station, they’d eat, they’d have dinner, they’d complete their whole dinner and they would never get a call. That just doesn’t happen anymore.” — Dr. Baxter Larmon
- “Our fourth goal is to get recognition by governmental agencies to understand what EMS is, to be able to recognize its importance in the community, but more importantly, to fund it appropriately as well.” — Dr. Baxter Larmon
- “I honestly had no idea what I was getting into with this and how intense the personal interactions were gonna be.” — Tom Putnam
- “By the time that particular run was over, I just think I was wide-eyed and said, wow, we’re making a war movie.” — Tom Putnam
- “For the right person, this is the best job in the world.” — Tom Putnam
Episode timeline
- 00:00 – Trailer and opening montage
- 01:41 – Rob introduces the episode and guests
- 03:18 – The origin story of Into the Unknown
- 05:13 – The lasting impact of Emergency! on EMS and what story the documentary is trying to tell
- 08:32 – Tom explains why he said “yes” immediately
- 10:52 – The first EMS call filmed and realizing the scale of the project
- 12:15 – Locations featured in the documentary
- 16:22 – How EMS has changed since Johnny Gage and Roy DeSoto
- 17:54 – Stories that surprised Tom most
- 20:15 – The emotional burden of the profession
- 22:40 – Calls Tom “can’t unsee”
- 24:00 – EMS as the safety net for society
- 25:07 – Burnout, resilience and humanity
- 27:30 – Why families need to see this film
- 28:06 – Why the project launched a Kickstarter campaign, funding goals and distribution plans
- 33:30 – Using the film as an EMS advocacy tool
- 35:43 – Lightning round
- 38:03 – Why EMS might be the best job in the world
- 39:05 – Dr. Richard Carmona’s role in the film
- 40:16 – Final thoughts and call to action
Additional resources
- Kickstarter Campaign: Into the Unknown Kickstarter Campaign
- Official Trailer and Updates: Into the Unknown News & Updates
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