The word 消防 is formed by combining two distinct characters, each contributing a core action to create a unified concept. The first character, 消 (xiāo), means "to eliminate" or "to extinguish", directly addressing the act of putting out a fire. The second, 防 (fáng), means "to prevent" or "to guard against", representing the proactive measures taken to stop a fire from occurring in the first place. Together, they form a complete, two-pronged concept that encapsulates the entire modern field of firefighting and fire prevention, moving beyond just putting out blazes to include the essential idea of safety and precaution.