Chief Alan Cowen walks us through the early history of the City of Los Angeles Emergency Services from horse-drawn firefighting equipment and ambulance carriages up through today's modern department the has become a model for the entire country. Chief Cowen takes us into the common centers and on-scene to some of the largest emergency events including wildfires, earthquakes and riots and recounts some of the City's periods of racism at Central Receiving Hospital and the LAFD as it transformed into the professional department it is today. This book represents a time capsule that historians and citizens alike will enjoy and reference for generations to come.