소방조는 개항이후 한국에 들어온 일본인들에 의해서 처음 조직되었다. 화재진압을 위해서 일본에서 만들어진 소방조는 한국에서는 화재진압은 물론 일본인의 안전을 담보하기 위한 경찰보조 역할을 담당하였다. 1915년 ‘조선총독부소방조규칙’이 발포되면서 소방조는 일제의 식민통치 보조기구로 변화되었다. 소방조 운영비를 府 · 面에서 담당하면서 소방조는 형식적으로 府面 소속이 되었지만 실질적으로는 경찰서장이 통제하였다. 소방조 구성은 한국인이 압도적으로 많았지만 소방조 간부는 일본인이 대부분 차지하였다. 1920년대 도시인구가 밀집되고 화재가 빈발하면서 화재를 효과적으로 진압할 수 있는 자동차 펌프가 도입되었다. 자동차펌프는 최신장비였기에 펌프장비를 작동할 수 있는 전문화된 상비소방수가 필요하였다. 소방업무를 통일적으로 다룰 수 있는 관서의 필요성에 따라 경성소방서도 1925년에 開署되었다. 경성소방서의 開署를 계기로 소방업무는 상비화로 접어들었다. 1935년 중반에는 소방조 산하에 수방단이 결성되었다. 수방단은 장마 홍수기에는 수난 구조활동을 하였다. 수방단은 여름에 활동하였지만 수방단장을 비롯한 수방단원들은 소방조원들이 겸직하였다. 1937년 중일전쟁이 발발하여 전쟁국면이 조성되면서 일제는 소방조 · 수방단 · 방호단을 묶어 경방단을 만들었다. 경방단이 만들어지면서 소방조도 경방단 소방부로 개편되었다. 그러나 경방단에서 가장 중추적인 역할을 담당한 기구는 소방부였다.

Fire Fighting Service was first organized in Korea by Japanese people who came to Korea after opening of ports to foreign countries. The fire fighting service assisted the police to secure safety of Japanese people as well as it extinguished fires in Korea. After 'the Japanese Government-General of Korea Fire Fighting Rules’were announced in 1915, the fire fighting service was changed into an assistant organization for Japanese colonial rule. The fire fighting system was actually controlled by a police chief although it belonged to district offices and the operational costs were managed by them. Although most of the members of the fire fighting system were Korean, it was controlled by Japanese executives. As the population was crowded in cities in 1920s and a number of fires broke out, automobile pumps which could control fires effectively were introduced. As the automobile pump was an advanced system, fire fighters with special skills who could operate the pumps were needed. The Gyongseung Fire Fighting Service was open in 1925 as government offices which could control fire fighting service were needed. Fire fighting service became permanent with its opening as an opportunity. In the middle of 1935, the flood control service was organized under the fire fighting service system. The flood control service was engaged in relief work during rain and flood season. The flood control service worked in summer, but the members also served as fire fighters. As the Chinese-Japanese War broke out in 1937 and war situation was made, Japanese government combined fire fighting service, flood control service and defensive forces into Gyongbangdan. Along with it, the fire fighting service was reorganized into Gyongbangdan Fire Fighting Service. However, the Fire Fighting Service was a central organization in Gyongbangdan.