Stena Line tests major ferry fire emergency response in multi-agency exercise
Stena Line carries out fire drill
Thursday 15 October 2026
A major emergency exercise has tested how Stena Line and emergency services would respond to a fire breaking out onboard a ferry at sea, with the simulated incident continuing after the vessel reached port.
The large-scale operation took place at Stena Line’s 12 Quays Terminal in Birkenhead, bringing together maritime authorities, police, firefighters and ferry personnel to assess their readiness for a potentially serious emergency.
The exercise was designed to test how effectively different organisations could communicate, make critical decisions and coordinate their response during an incident involving a passenger vessel.
From fire at sea to emergency response in port
The scenario began with a simulated fire onboard a vessel at sea before progressing to an emergency operation once the ferry had berthed at Birkenhead.
Teams were required to work through the challenges of managing an incident across two environments, testing arrangements for emergency resources onboard the vessel and ashore.
Four organisations participated directly in the exercise:
• Stena Line
• HM Coastguard
• Merseyside Police
• Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service
The operation examined communication procedures, decision-making, coordination between agencies and the deployment of emergency resources.
Preparing for a complex maritime emergency
Maritime incidents can present particular challenges because emergency services may need to coordinate their response while a vessel is still at sea, before continuing operations once it reaches a port.
Michael Buratti, Area Commander with HM Coastguard, highlighted the importance of testing these arrangements before a real emergency occurs.
He said:
“Exercises of this scale give all agencies a valuable opportunity to test our plans, communications and joint decision making in a realistic environment.
“Maritime incidents can require a complex, coordinated response both at sea and ashore, so working alongside Stena Line and our emergency service partners helps ensure we are collectively prepared to respond effectively”.
Stena Line highlights importance of preparedness
Stena Line said the exercise formed part of its wider programme of emergency preparedness activities, intended to protect passengers, employees, contractors and others involved in its ferry and port operations.
Michael Proctor, Fleet Manager at Stena Line, said:
"Safety is our number one priority and exercises such as this are vital in ensuring we are fully prepared to respond should an incident ever occur.
"The success of this exercise demonstrates the professionalism and close collaboration that exists between Stena Line and our emergency service partners, and the valuable learning gained will help further strengthen safety for our colleagues, customers and everyone who works across our port and vessel operations."
Wider maritime industry observes exercise
The operation also brought together observers from organisations across the maritime and emergency response sectors, allowing lessons from the exercise to be shared beyond the participating agencies.
Observers included Peel Ports, Liverpool University, other ferry operators and representatives from the wider shipping and emergency response industries.
Their involvement reflected a broader objective of improving cooperation and encouraging shared learning across the maritime sector.
Strengthening ferry safety procedures
Stena Line described the exercise as successful, although the company did not provide detailed findings, identify any shortcomings uncovered during the simulation or specify changes that would follow.
The exercise nevertheless provided an opportunity to assess how existing emergency plans would operate under simulated pressure, particularly where responsibility passes between crews at sea and emergency responders ashore.
For ferry passengers, the significance lies in the preparation undertaken before an emergency occurs. The effectiveness of those arrangements depends not only on individual crews and emergency services, but also on how well they can work together when a coordinated response is required.
