PURLEY'S fire station is to be demolished next week to make way for a modernised facility.
On Wednesday, (February 11) firefighters from the Brighton Road station, built in the 1920s, will move to Mitcham for a year while the new development goes up.
But station manager Sally Harper said south residents don't need to worry as they will be well looked after by neighbouring stations in Croydon, Addington and Wallington.
"We still expect to meet our attendance times, which will be monitored," said Ms Harper. "It will be exactly the same as if Purley were training for the day."
Crews from Wallington are expected to cover incidents in Purley, while Addington will cover Sanderstead and Kenley and Croydon fire station will cover the Purley Way area.
"All the community work Purley does and the ties with the community, like fire safety visits to schools, will be maintained," Ms Harper added.
Mitcham fire station has space for two fire engines. Purley will move in temporarily with both crews operating independently but out of the same station.
Crew manager Jake Alexander, 40, has been a firefighter for 15 years and moved to Purley station four months ago. He said the team are sad to leave Purley and look are looking forward to returning.
"There's something about old fire stations," said Mr Alexander. "We're here 24 hours a day and we work with so many characters you grow quite fond of places. We come back after incidents and chat, there's a lot of comradery.
"The building has the feel of all those stories. When you go in a new building it doesn't feel the same as walking into an old fire station. It will take a little while for that to creep into the new building."
Ms Harper said work at Purley station, originally a combined fire and ambulance station, is necessary because the current building cannot keep up with the modern fire service.
The new station will have a larger fire engine bay, a four-storey training tower, a drill yard and a road traffic accident training area.
Ms Harper said: "It's exciting to have a new fire station within the Croydon area, but I think it will be quite sad because the history of the building will go.
"Our fire engines are much bigger now and we have a lot more equipment, like the heavy cutting gear. We have a gym here, too – I doubt they had a running machine in the 1920s."
There will also be a new office, lecture and study rooms as well as places for firefighters to rest, change and cook.
The new building will be more open to the public and Ms Harper hopes to be able to provide rooms for support groups to meet.
It will be paid for with a share of £51.5 million awarded to London Fire Brigade by the Department of Communities and Local Government to improve nine fire stations in the capital including Purley.
