A 100-year-old fire station is to be knocked down this week and completely rebuilt.
Leytonstone fire station, in High Road, will be closed on Wednesday while the upgrade work takes place.
New facilities will include a four-storey tower for training in the drill yard, separate showering and changing areas, as well as kitchen and gym facilities for crews.
Two of the original clock towers from the old station have also been incorporated into the new design.
Firefighters and their equipment will move to nearby Leyton fire station, in Church Road, during the upgrade.
Station manager Sanjay Prasad assured the community that there will be little effect on response times.
He said: “The old station has served the community well for 100 years but it really needs updating.
“For example, we need to make our appliance bays larger so they fit modern engines and the new stations will provide improved accommodation and training facilities for firefighters.
“Our work is about preventing fires as well as putting them out and so new briefing and community rooms mean we are better able to provide fire safety training for community groups and schools from within our station.
“Temporarily moving the station will not mean less cover for Leytonstone.
“Fire engines routinely provide operational cover across different station areas and the temporary arrangements will have very little impact on response times.”
This refurbishment is part of the brigade’s £57.4m private finance initiative project to upgrade nine aging fire stations.
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