Keith Klinger; Innovative County Fire Chief

Former Los Angeles County Fire Chief Keith Klinger, an innovator in Southland firefighting and a legendary figure within the department since his retirement in 1969, has died. He was 88.

Klinger, who joined the department in 1934 and was chief for 16 years, succumbed Feb. 28 to complications from cancer at his home in Santa Barbara County, fire officials said.

After becoming chief in 1953, Klinger oversaw tremendous growth within the department, and became known nationally as a hard-driving, creative firefighter. Klinger is credited with pioneering the now-common practice of using helicopters to battle wildfires. He also oversaw the adoption of paramedic services into the Fire Department, fire officials said.

“Keith Klinger has left quite a legacy,” said Battalion Chief George Pearson, a friend of Klinger and himself a longtime veteran of the department. “There will not be another chief like him.”

Klinger retired on doctor’s orders, but he remained active locally and nationally in coping with emergencies. As a member of Richard Nixon’s Presidential Fire Commission, Klinger played a role in developing the 911 emergency system. He also was considered a national expert on brush fires, department officials said.

Although Klinger made valuable contributions in the areas of policy and strategy, firefighters remembered him primarily as a tough, hard-working and hands-on leader.

“He was looked upon with respect by the men--because he was a fireman himself,” Pearson said. “He thought like a fireman. He cared about the firemen.” After retiring, Klinger was given the title “fire chief emeritus” by the county Board of Supervisors, and the department’s east county headquarters was renamed the Klinger Center in his honor.

Klinger was born in New York, and moved to Los Angeles with his family when he was 11. His father, Walter Klinger, was a battalion chief in the Fire Department, and eventually convinced his then-unemployed son to join up.

Though he did so reluctantly, Klinger moved up the ranks quickly, earning a reputation as an intense leader.

“A big fire is like starting a football game,” Klinger told The Times when he retired in 1969. “Everyone keyed up, everyone with butterflies.”

Pearson remembers Klinger’s intensity clearly.

“He wasn’t a big man,” Pearson said. “But I tell you what, I’m 6 feet, 5 inches and 270 pounds, but I’d never take him on.”

A memorial service will be held Monday at 9:30 a.m. at the Forest Lawn Mortuary in Glendale, fire officials said. Klinger is survived by his wife, Virginia.