Senate Resolution No. 2077

BY: Senator HARCKHAM

MOURNING the death of Raymond J. Baker, Sr.,
meritorious firefighter, loving and devoted husband
and father, and distinguished member of his
community

WHEREAS, There are certain outstanding members of our community who,
through their selfless commitment and dedication, have served to better
the quality of life in our community and have had a measurable positive
impact on the lives of its residents; Raymond J. Baker, Sr., was one
such individual; and

WHEREAS, Raymond J. Baker, Sr., Deputy Chief of the Golden's Bridge
Fire Department, died on Saturday, March 9, 2024, at the age of 64; and

WHEREAS, Born in Hartsdale, New York, to Raymond and Millie Baker on
July 1, 1959, Raymond J. Baker, Sr., was captivated by firefighting at
an early age, watching his father, a licensed electrician, respond to
alarms as a volunteer firefighter with the Greenburgh Fire Department;
and

WHEREAS, As soon as he became age-eligible, Raymond J. Baker, Sr.,
joined the Hartsdale Fire Department as a volunteer and then went on to
become a career firefighter with the department in 1980; and

WHEREAS, Raymond J. Baker, Sr., met the love of his life, the former
Ann Duggan, in 1991 after an introduction by a mutual friend in the
department; he and Ann, a retired educator who taught for more than 35
years at Our Lady of Sorrows Elementary School in White Plains, New
York, were married in 1993 and moved from Hartsdale to Somers in 1995;
and

WHEREAS, Together, the couple raised their two wonderful children,
Raymond Jr., who is also a Lieutenant with the Lewisboro Volunteer
Ambulance Corps and an emergency room technician at Northern Westchester
Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York, and Ryan J. Baker, a mathematics
teacher at BOCES Westchester; and

WHEREAS, Deputy Chief Raymond J. Baker, Sr., retired in 2013 after a
33-year career with the Hartsdale Fire Department; in addition to
responding to thousands of fire alarms and other emergency calls as a
firefighter, he was a certified bailout training officer and licensed to
operate all the department's fire trucks; trained and licensed in the
electrical trade, he also served as the Hartsdale Fire Department's lead
electrician charged with maintaining, repairing, and replacing the
hamlet's alarm boxes; and

WHEREAS, Furthermore, in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks in New York City, Deputy Chief Raymond J. Baker, Sr.,
joined hundreds of firefighters at the World Trade Center site and was
stationed for a period of time in the Bronx, supporting firehouses whose
personnel were working in the recovery effort; and

WHEREAS, Overlapping part of his full-time service with the
Hartsdale Fire Department was a decade as a volunteer with the Somers
Fire Department, where from 2007 to 2017 he held several leadership and
officer ranks, including Lieutenant, Captain, Second and First Assistant
Chief, and Fire Chief; and

WHEREAS, Deputy Chief Raymond J. Baker, Sr., joined the Golden's
Bridge Fire Department in 2016 as a mutual aid member, reuniting in the
fire services with the eldest of his two sons; one of his proudest
moments in his fire services career was serving alongside his son for
the past eight years, and together rising through the ranks- he as
Deputy Chief and Baker Jr. as Fire Lieutenant; and

WHEREAS, A true mentor, Deputy Chief Raymond J. Baker, Sr., was
always more than willing to share his lifetime of experience, expertise,
and knowledge about firefighting with his colleagues, especially
newcomers and young members of the departments he served; he held
numerous federal, state and county certifications in fire and emergency
response, such as incident command, firefighter survival, essentials of
firemanship, firefighter assist and search team tactics, passenger train
emergency rescue, accident victim extrication, trench rescue, hazardous
material incident command, national incident management system, national
response plan, and many others; and

WHEREAS, Deputy Chief Raymond J. Baker, Sr. was the quintessential
public servant; he was a great firefighter and an even better human
being who gave four-and-a-half decades of his life to safeguarding the
residents of his community; and

WHEREAS, A conservationist who enjoyed the great outdoors,
especially hunting and fishing, Deputy Chief Raymond J. Baker, Sr., was
also a model train enthusiast who relished the challenge of building
replicas and learning everything he could about trains; and

WHEREAS, Deputy Chief Raymond J. Baker, Sr., is survived by his
wife, Ann; their children, Raymond Jr. (Laura) and Ryan (Julianna); and
his many firefighter colleagues whom he always considered his sisters
and brothers; he is predeceased by his parents, Raymond and Millie, and
a sister, Louise; and

WHEREAS, Throughout his meritorious life, Raymond J. Baker, Sr.,
touched many through his kindness and commitment to service, and, as we
recall the loss of this great man, we memorialize his remarkable life
and the enormous impact he had on everyone with whom he came in contact;
and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to convey its
grateful appreciation and heartfelt regret in recognition of a
courageous firefighter who dedicated his purposeful life and career in
faithful service to his family and community; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
pay tribute to the life and valiant service of Deputy Chief Raymond J.
Baker, Sr.; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of Deputy Chief Raymond J. Baker, Sr.