Fire crews praised for explosion-risk ship response

A fire service chief said preparing for major incidents would remain a "focus", after a review praised its response to a ship carrying a potentially explosive cargo docking in the county.

His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service had improved in 16 problem areas since its last inspection in 2023.

The watchdog rated it "good" overall and investigators said it "responded well" to the damaged MV Ruby docking at Great Yarmouth port in 2024, amid fears its cargo of fertiliser could explode.

However, it did find the service's preparedness for major incidents required improvement.

The ship ended up in Great Yarmouth after several other countries had turned it away.

It was carrying 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser destined for Africa.

MV Ruby damaged its hull and propellor after running aground in July.

It led to concerns it could explode, following the 2013 incident in Beirut, Lebanon, when 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate detonated while being stored in the city's port.

Its arrival in Yarmouth led to a major incident being declared. Fire crews played a key role by investigating the vessel, using body-worn video cameras to identify any risks.

Scott Norman, deputy chief officer, said the use of this "innovative" technology meant crews could immediately feed back information from the scene to all agencies involved.

The HMICFRS said the incident showed the service had "effective plans to respond to a major incident and work with other emergency responders".

But it also found staff needed more training for major incident responses, such as marauding terror attacks.

Ceri Sumner, chief fire officer, said it would continue to improve responses to major incidents, acknowledging "anything can happen" in a county with a "range of risks".

Overall, the fire service has improved significantly since 2023, when just three areas were rated "good". This year, there were eight.

Sumner said the service was particularly proud of its prevention work, which had "required improvement" following the last assessment.

Crews carried out 8,294 home fire safety visits in 2024-25 - almost four times the 2,233 managed in 2022-23. They targeted vulnerable residents and people living in deprived areas.

Sumner said the service was "really delighted" at the positive report and that it followed "hard work being put in by all of our teams".

She added: "We've been really focused on assessing the risks in Norfolk, being clear on what they are and then building strategies around that, and then working collaboratively as a team to make sure we really focus our resource where it can have the most impact."

Looking ahead, the fire chief said funding pressures could become an increasing challenge.

This year, the service is expected to go £1m over its initial budget, with costs exacerbated by wildfires over the summer months.

August was its busiest month on record.

Sumner said budget pressures would need to be addressed, as demand for services was expected to continue to increase.

But currently, the service is delivering on cost-effectiveness, with its £41.58 spend per resident being below the national average of £51.72.

Do you have a story suggestion for Norfolk? Contact us below.

Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.