Neil Wallington is a former firefighter who served in the London Fire Brigade

London Fire Brigade

The London Fire Brigade is the statutory fire and rescue service for London.Founded in 1865, it is the largest of the fire services in the United Kingdom and the fourth-largest in the world with nearly 7,000 staff, including 5,800 operational firefighters based in 112 fire...

 and wrote about his experiences in the 1979 book Fireman! A personal account. The book includes one chapter about the Worsley Hotel fire

Worsley Hotel fire

The Worsley Hotel Fire was a major fire at the Worsley Hotel in Maida Vale, London on 13 December 1974. It killed 7 people, including a probationary firefighter.-Hotel:...

 which claimed the lives of seven people including one firefighter. He subsequently went on to rise through the ranks of the fire service to become the Chief Officer

Chief officer

A chief officer can refer to any of various leaders:In the military, it can refer to certain non-commissioned members:*Chief Petty Officer*Chief Warrant OfficerMarine occupation:*Chief Mate...

 of Devon Fire and Rescue Service

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory fire and rescue service covering the counties of Devon and Somerset, including the unitary authorities of Plymouth and Torbay, in South West England...

, and has written several books about firefighting and the fire service.