Key Peninsula Fire

Meet The Fire Chief, Tom Lique

Dates of Service: September 1984 through present

KKey Peninsula History: Tom moved to the Key Peninsula Community with his parents in 1968.  The Lique family managed a farm on Lackey Road for a company based out of the Puyallup area until 1978.  In 1978 after is father retired the family moved to just South of Key Center on the Highway where Tom lived while he finished high school.  While growing up on the Key Peninsula Tom worked at Camp Colman in Longbranch and also worked at the Key Center Shell gas station located at 92nd Street and Key Peninsula Hwy.  Joining the Key Peninsula Fire Department in his senior year of high school Tom moved in as a resident firefighter the day after his graduated in 1985.  As a 43 year resident of the Key Peninsula Tom now lives and is raising his family in what he considers the perfect community, the Key Peninsula

EEducation: Tom attended school on the Key Peninsula inside the Peninsula School District K-12 graduating from Peninsula High School in June 1985.  Tom has also attended Tacoma Community College, Bates Technical College, Pierce College and the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg Maryland.  Tom currently holds a Fire Command and Administration degree and continues work on his degree in Emergency Medical Systems.  Tom is a Washington State trained and certified Paramedic.  Tom has attended many additional hours of Fire Service training including training at the Washington State Fire Service training academy and the King County Officer Developmental academy.  Recognizing that the learning process is never finished Tom continues his pursuit of education to make him the strongest leader he can be for the Fire Department.

AAwards and Accomplishment:  Tom has received many awards during his 27 years working in Fire Service.  Recognized as the Rural First Responder of the year in 1988 by Pierce County, Tom has continued to perform at a high level in his career.  Tom has received recognition as the Key Peninsula’s Career Firefighter of the year in 1991, 1994; Career Officer of the year in 1996, 2003; the Department’s Commissioner’s award in 2000, 2001 and 2005.  In 2010 Tom was once again recognized in Pierce County by his peers as the Pierce County Fire Chief of the year.  In 2011 Tom received special recognition from the Department for 25 years as a career department member.

PPersonal Information:  Tom was married in June of 1992 to his wife Julie; raising their family of two children and their two nieces in the Key Center area.  Currently Tom and Julie have two of their children still living at home.  The other two, now grown, have begun their own families, one on the Key Peninsula and the second in Phoenix Arizona area. 

CCommunity Involvement:  Tom has worked with the Boy and Girl Scout groups on the Key Peninsula; he has coached Soccer, Baseball, and Basketball teams for the Peninsula Athletic Association.  Tom spends many hours teaching and mentoring new emergency medical workers as they enter into the emergency care services.