In the late 1930s the Fire Brigades Act brought into being the Auxiliary Fire Service - setting up a force that operated in parallel with regular fire fighters. In the early stages of the Second World War, as the government realised the importance of a unified fire fighting force throughout the county, emergency provisions were made for a National Fire Service. This came into being in 1941. This account of the NFS from its foundation includes many vivid and moving interviews with firemen and women who lived through the period, previously unseen photographs and documents, and also illustrates the vital role of the volunteer Corps of Canadian Fire fighters. John Leete records in detail the magnificent contribution made by these brave men and women.