The Fire Brigade
The very first organised fire fighting services only came into effect after the 'Great Fire of London' in September 1666. The fire raged for four days, reaching temperatures of 1700°c, and swept through the medieval timber buildings of the old City of London. Over 13,000 houses and 87 Churches were destroyed in the blaze including St Paul's Cathedral, and it is estimated that over 80% of the City's population found themselves homeless until rebuilding began. Sir Christopher Wren designed the new City, including the St Paul's Cathedral we know today and the rebuilding continued for the next thirty years.
The first 'Fire Insurance' companies, using Thames watermen as fire fighters,  were established after the London fire. Policy holders fixed a badge to their building, now made of stone and brick, which fire fighters looked for when they arrived at the scene of a blaze. They stood and watched the building burn if the badge on the building didn't belong to one of their policy holders.
The first organised Municipal Fire Brigade in the World was established in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1824, and then in London nine years later in 1833. By the beginning of World War Two there were 1,500 municipal Fire Brigades across the UK.
Over one thousand Firemen and twenty four Firewomen heroically lost their lives fighting fires during the War. Prime Minister Winston Churchill held Fire Fighters in the highest regard during 'The Blitz' of 1940 and called them ' Angels with grimy faces'.
The amalgamation of Fire Services under the control of the National Fire Service began after the War ended and evolved into the Service we know today.