The City Council on Tuesday honored Maurice Luque, the recently retired San Diego Fire-Rescue Department public information officer, for his responsiveness and willingness to go to fire scenes at all hours of the day and night.
The council proclaimed it Maurice Luque Day in San Diego. Luque is known to television viewers for describing various incidents over the past decade while wearing his yellow fireman’s jacket.
In remarks to the council members, he deflected the credit to SDFRD firefighters.
“My job was easy, when I have the support I got from the department, from the city, from other city departments — I just talk about it,” Luque said. “How cool is that if you’re a communications person? It doesn’t get any better than that.”
He also thanked fire department leaders, who he said “empowered” him to do his job the right way.
Interim Mayor Todd Gloria said Luque was not just the go-to guy for reporters, but also for city officials who needed information.
“Maurice, over his time as the public information officer for the fire-rescue department, developed a reputation with the media of being incredibly trustworthy,” Gloria said. “He insured timely information, which we know in disaster situations is so incredibly important, and he helped distribute that information via the media to the public, and as a result strengthened public safety in our city.”
Councilwoman Marti Emerald, like Luque a former television reporter, called him “proof positive —there is life after TV.”
—City News Service