The City of Colorado Springs marked its beginning on July 31, 1871, first with a volunteer department and later a paid department.

Bucket brigades were the first methods of firefighting.  There were very few natural water sources in the town, therefore, most water was supplied by wells.  The El Paso Canal was completed in early 1872, which took its water from Fountain Creek and provided another source of water. 

On October 10, 1872, Ordinance No. 4 was enacted that provided for the election of a fire warden.  The fire warden was charged with making inspections to reduce fire hazards, and leveling fines against those with unsafe chimneys or other conditions conducive to fire.  Those who dumped live ashes in the street, or who burned combustibles on a windy day could be punished with a fine of $5.00.

Several local fires motivated interested citizens to meet on December 27, 1872, where they promptly organized with over thirty active members.  They named themselves Colorado Springs Hook and Ladder Company No. 1.  Since this name implied they had a ladder truck (which they did not), on February 4, 1873, they changed the name to The Colorado Springs Fire Company.  On May 7, 1873, they took delivery of a Babcock No. 1, described as a fire extinguisher on wheels. 

A second fire company, the Hook and Ladder Company, was formed on January 29, 1875.  The hook and ladder truck arrived on May 11, 1875.  It was a hand-drawn, four-wheeled wagon carrying about half a dozen ladders.  There was some initial animosity between these two fire companies, but they quickly became friendly and began to work together.

Ground was broken on October 12, 1878, for the city's first pipe line.  Water would be carried from a reservoir on the mesa northwest of town to a system of water mains in town.  This system included 20 fire hydrants.  A purchase was made of 1,000 feet of cable cotton hose and two hose carts.  On December 4, 1878, organization was completed of the Matt France Hose Company No. 1.  Matt France was a prominent citizen who had been mayor and a county commissioner.  Five days later, the W. S. Jackson Hose Company No. 2 was organized.

The first fire chief was appointed in February, 1879.  Benjamin F. Crowell was a prominent citizen who had served as a county treasurer, county commissioner, and later was one of the incorporators of the streetcar line on Tejon Street. 

It wasn't until January, 1894, that the city council voted to organize a paid fire department and disband the volunteers.  The new fire chief, J. G. Johnson from Minneapolis, was paid $100 a month, and the men each received $70 a month.  The new department was housed in the remodeled lower level of city hall.  Horse stalls were at the back, and the former city council chambers became the sleeping quarters.

The first motorized apparatus was put into service in October, 1910.  It was a Gramm chassis with a four-cylinder, forty horsepower engine, with a top speed of thirty miles per hour.  It cost $2,476.50.  A test run took it two and a half minutes to reach Glockner Sanitarium (now Penrose Hospital) from Station 2, where the horse-drawn wagon had taken twenty-five minutes.  More motorized apparatus soon followed and the use of horses was slowly eliminated.