Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Douglas Baker, Founder and President Emeritus of Mercy Flight, passed away this past Friday at the age of 79.
It was on Monday that Baker was honored during a funeral and procession that led him to his place of rest at Forest Lawn Cemetery. A number of emergency services were on-hand to pay their respects to the innovator in medical services, including Buffalo Police and Buffalo Fire, who displayed a giant American flag over the entrance to the cemetery.
In addition, a Mercy Flight helicopter was on site, flying overhead to honor Baker and his legacy in Western New York medical care.
"When it comes to Doug Baker, it's really hard to put words together," said veteran Flight Medic with Mercy Flight, Tommy LaBelle, who worked closely with Baker for years. "We're talking about a guy that because of him, we have professional paramedics in the City of Buffalo, which has extended out through all of the eight counties of Western New York, hundreds of thousands of lives. What do you say to something like that?
"With the inception of Mercy Flight in 1981, since then, we've cared for over 200,000 patients, 30,000 of them in the air. To honor Mr. Baker's life would mean to live as he lived, and his motto always was, 'People first. No matter what the circumstance, help people first. We'll figure everything else out later, help people first.' He created such a warm family-like atmosphere at work that it was a work environment that was conducive to that model: Family and helping people."
Baker's public service career began when he was just 13-years-old as an ambulance attendant in the City of Buffalo. He continued for more than 60 years from 1961 to 1995 as President of LaSalle Ambulance.
When he founded Mercy Flight in 1981, it became New York State's first medically dedicated helicopter EMS organization. Now, because of Baker's dream, an army of pilots, physicians, nurses, paramedics, and administrators work together to ensure that around-the-clock medical expertise is available via a fleet of four twin-engine Bell 429 helicopters and dozens of ground ambulances. A fixed-wing aircraft (Lear Jet) is also in place for longer distances.
"It's great that he has a big impact on our community, and makes sure our whole community is safe. That's what I really like about him, because he makes sure that we're all safe and we don't get hurt or anything," said 12-year-old Colin Weaver of Depew, who stood outside Temple Beth Zion to pay his respects to Baker. "It's very emotional that he passed, and Mercy Flight and LaSalle, that's now operated by AMR, will now live an amazing legacy, and it will be going on for many, many, many, many years to come."
It was a couple of years ago when Weaver first met Baker while at the Beacon of Hope Gala. He says he will always think of him as a very kind and considerate person, one you could talk to for hours.
"I've always met up with him at all the Mercy Flight events and all that. I remember being introduced to him by all the Mercy Flight staff, and I remember just knowing him a lot," Weaver said. "I remember talking to him about the history and all that, because, honestly, he was a very amazing entrepreneur to make a big impact on the local community, and honestly, I really liked that."
Weaver felt it was important to be on-hand for the funeral service and procession to not only pay respect to Baker, but also to represent the youth who aspire to one day go to EMT school or pilot school to work with Mercy Flight. He says one day, he hopes to do something like that to make an impact on the community.
"We always love to have Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, and we go to preschools and youth clubs, we're always getting children of the community involved in Mercy Flight," LaBelle said of young kids like Weaver making an appearance on Monday. "They're coming to Mercy Flight for tours, we're going there for demonstrations. Just to say we are focused on patient care, an expert level of patient care unlike none other, is not doing the company justice, because there's so many other facets in relationship to the community. Really getting the community involved, and being there for the community."
LaBelle says that for Baker, it was of importance for him and others with Mercy Flight to represent the community and take the time to get others interested in their services.
"Somebody shows up, you drop everything and give them a tour. Show them the aircraft, show them around, we don't shut anybody out," LaBelle recollected. "As an outsider, if you were to come to Mercy Flight and you're fascinated by everything and the doors are open for you, that's going to draw you into this profession. These guys just opened their arms up to me, they treated me with such respect and kindness. I want to be a part of this family now. That's a lot of how this operation has grown over the years."
While Baker will forever be remembered for his contributions to the medical care industry in Buffalo, LaBelle will remember his former coworker for always finding a way to make everyone feel really relaxed and comfortable and at ease, no matter how stressful the job got.
"Every morning, he was happy to see everybody. He made a point every day to make sure he got around to everybody in the building to say hello, to talk to him. Doug was one of those guys that you didn't work for him, you work with him. A true friend," LaBelle said. "And to be very blunt, to even suggest that we are sad over this loss... it is a severe understatement to say we're gonna miss him."
Baker served in the New York Army National Guard from 1962 to 1968. He also served on the Erie County Medical Center Board of Directors and Foundation Board and was a member of the Erie County EMS Advisory Board.
He was the recipient of the NYS EMS Council’s Harriet C. Weber EMS Leadership Award in 2008 and the Association of Air Medical Services Marriott-Carlson Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
Doug was the beloved husband of Barbara and loving father of Karen (Todd Levin) Baker, Stephanie (Josh) Katzman, and the late Todd Baker; brother of the late Warren Baker; devoted grandfather of Taylor, Connor, and Julia Levin and Hadley, Drew, and Myles Katzman.