Shipboard Firefighting Lessons with Bill Burket: From the Spirit of Norfolk to the Grande Costa D’Avorio

In this episode, I sit down with Bill Burket, a seasoned maritime emergency responder and expert witness at the U.S. Coast Guard hearing on the Grande Costa D’Avorio fire. Bill brings decades of experience in shipboard firefighting and port response coordination, including his firsthand involvement in the Spirit of Norfolk engine room fire.

We dive into:

• His powerful testimony and insights from the Grande Costa D’Avorio investigation

• What went wrong—and what must change—in shipboard firefighting strategy and command

• Lessons learned from the Spirit of Norfolk incident

• The critical role of training and interagency coordination

• A preview of the upcoming National Port Partner Emergency Response Summit, where stakeholders will come together to chart the future of maritime emergency preparedness.

This is a must-listen for anyone involved in port security, marine firefighting, salvage, or Unified Command coordination. Tune in to hear how experience, collaboration, and leadership can make the difference between disaster and success.