//Has the user signed in?
        if (NSUserDefaults.standardUserDefaults().valueForKey("uid") != nil && UserAccountService.firebaseDBService.CURRENT_USER_REF.authData != nil) {
            //User is already signed in
            self.performSegueWithIdentifier("dashboardView", sender: self)
        } else {
            //User must sign in first
            self.performSegueWithIdentifier("signInView", sender: self)
        }

UserAccountService.firebaseDBService.BASE_REF.createUser(email, password: password, withValueCompletionBlock: { error, result in

            if error != nil {

                // an error occurred while attempting sign up
                if let errorCode = FAuthenticationError(rawValue: error.code) {
                    switch (errorCode) {
                    case .EmailTaken:
                        print("Error: Email already in use: (email)")
                        self.displayErrorMessage(EMAIL_TAKEN_DB_ERROR_TITLE, message: EMAIL_TAKEN_DB_ERROR_MESSAGE);
                        return
                    case .InvalidEmail:
                        print("Error: Invalid email address: (email)")
                        self.displayErrorMessage(INVALID_EMAIL_DB_ERROR_TITLE, message: INVALID_EMAIL_DB_ERROR_MESSAGE);
                        return
                    case .InvalidPassword:
                        print("Error: Invalid password: (password)")
                        self.displayErrorMessage(INVALID_PASSWORD_DB_ERROR_TITLE, message:INVALID_PASSWORD_DB_ERROR_MESSAGE);
                        return
                    default:
                        print("Error creating user: (error.description)")
                        self.displayErrorMessage(ACCOUNT_CREATION_DB_ERROR_TITLE, message: ACCOUNT_CREATION_DB_ERROR_MESSAGE);
                        return
                    }
                }

            } else {

                // Create and Login the New User with authUser
                UserAccountService.firebaseDBService.BASE_REF.authUser(email, password: password, withCompletionBlock: { error, authData in

                    if error != nil {

                        // an error occurred while attempting sign in
                        print("Error: Error encountered when getting user details after the account was created  (error.description)")
                        self.displayErrorMessage(PROBLEM_GETTING_USER_DETAILS_FROM_DB_ERROR_TITLE, message: PROBLEM_GETTING_USER_DETAILS_FROM_DB_ERROR_MESSAGE)
                        return

                    } else {

                        // Create a user object and get the user information in a Dictionary<String, String>
                        let user = User(uid: authData.uid! , email: email!, firstName: firstName!, lastName: lastName!, provider: authData.provider!)
                        let userDictionary = user.getUserDictionary(user)

                        // Add new account to the Firebase database
                        UserAccountService.firebaseDBService.createNewAccount(authData.uid, user: userDictionary)

                    }
                })

                // Store the uid for future access
                NSUserDefaults.standardUserDefaults().setValue(result["uid"], forKey: "uid")

import Foundation
import Firebase

class UserAccountService {
    static let firebaseDBService = UserAccountService()

    private var _BASE_REF = Firebase(url: "(BASE_URL)")
    private var _USER_REF = Firebase(url: "(BASE_URL)/user")

    var BASE_REF: Firebase {
        return _BASE_REF
    }

    var USER_REF: Firebase {
        return _USER_REF
    }

    var CURRENT_USER_REF: Firebase {
        let userID = NSUserDefaults.standardUserDefaults().valueForKey("uid") as! String

        let currentUser = Firebase(url: "(BASE_REF)").childByAppendingPath("user").childByAppendingPath(userID)

        return currentUser!
    }

    func createNewAccount(uid: String, user: Dictionary<String, String>) {

        // A User is born.
        USER_REF.childByAppendingPath(uid).setValue(user)
        print("User info saved to Firebase: user: (user)")
    }

}