Public Works driver and Hero: Baker saved lives!

Public Works driver and Hero:
Baker saved lives!
It’s not unusual for Plano Mayor Phil Dyer to dole out city
proclamations to numerous individuals and organizations
during sessions of City Council meetings – each having done
or will participate in some act or service that significantly
benefits our communities. What makes these recognitions
that much more special is when the mayor and city council
members have the opportunity to honor city staff for going
above and beyond the call in serving our citizens.
Mayor Dyer and Henry Baker
Senior Crew Leader Henry Baker became the most recent honoree at this week’s City Council
Meeting (Aug. 13) for his exemplary behavior. The mayor called Mr. Baker, his family, Interim
Fire Chief Bill Peterson and Public Works Director Gerald Cosgrove forward to help recognize the
heroic incident that brought them all together. Peterson began by saying, “We’re all here to
bring attention to the kind of employee that epitomizes the ideals of the type person we like to
hire at the city, and one that showed quick action and responsiveness in a situation that
occurred a couple weeks ago.”
Baker was recently out performing
his Public Works duties when he
noticed smoke coming from a
house as he drove down
Chinaberry Street. He immediately
called his dispatcher asking him to
notify the Fire department. Then
Baker proceeded to knock on the
door of the house to alert the
occupants and get them out –
reportedly the homeowner was a
Mayor Dyer, Baker, Mrs. Baker, son, Chief Peterson, Gerald Cosgrove
little reluctant to leave because she
didn’t realize what was happening.
He made sure the woman of the house was safely escorted to the other side of the street before
returning to make sure the neighboring residents were notified of the situation and had time to
get out of their houses too. “Mr. Baker’s prompt action certainly contributed to the wellbeing
of the resident of that home and the adjoining neighbors; and certainly helped us respond to
the incident as quickly as we could,” said Interim Chief Peterson. “I am proud to be able to
recognize an employee of the city for that.” The sentiment was echoed by Mayor Dyer and Mr.
Cosgrove who injected that the woman in the burning house actually wanted Baker to let her go
back into the home in order to retrieve valuables – he of course refused to allow this.

In reading the proclamation Mayor Dyer Henry, DeLynda and Grant
thanked Baker for the disregard of his own
safety in an emergency situation, and for
his rapid response which helped to avoid a
tragedy. “Thank you for being a true
hero!” he said. Henry Baker works in the
Plano Public Works Operations
department for the last 14 years, but prior
to coming here he worked in the private
sector building on-shore and off-shore
drilling equipment. He was born in
McKinney, Texas in 1972, but now lives in Trenton (near Bonham) and was joined for the
presentation by his wife DeLynda and stepson Grant.
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