We all are aware of pirate attacks that take place on ships which often lead
to stealing of cargo or holding the crew hostages in return for ransom.
And this calls for many precautions and rules for ships and its crew set by the IMO.
Some of the precautions include the use of razor wires, presence of armed personal and the Citadel
In this video we're gonna know about the citadel, its features purpose and precautions.
In ancient days a citadel was usually a castle or fort that was used to protect the people of the
city in case of any attack, That pretty much explains the purpose of a citadel on a ship.
Yeah right, it's an enclosed space on the ship used for hiding from pirates, if they have
successfully boarded the ship which is the worst case scenario. If we look into the statistics
the year 2010 which witnessed the peak of piracy attacks has significantly decreased till date
and there have been about 26 cases where the pirates did board the ship but were
unable to take control as the crew properly sought safety in the citadel of the ship.
However, there have also been five cases where the pirates did breach through the citadel
reinforcements and gain control which is because of poor reinforcement or location of the citadel.
By definition, a citadel is designed and constructed to resist a determined pirate
trying to gain entry for a fixed period of time. Likewise, the citadel is required to
be constructed at strategic locations usually at the center of a ship, sometimes the engine room
itself, and be reinforced by thick metal doors and necessary ventilation. Not to forget that
there should be a supply of food and water for at least 48 hours, a closable outlet on the floor
for excretion, provisions for communication including VHF and satellite communication.
Controls over the main and auxiliary engine to move the ship and a GPS receiver.
The location should be difficult for pirates to locate. This may be influenced by the size and
layout of the vessel. It is also helpful if the entrance to the citadel is camouflaged.
Doors, bulkheads and glazings may be given for additional protection against an attack with
weapons. The materials should be ballistic resistant to an internationally recognized
standard. The ventilation should be from a stand-alone power supply and should provide
adequate ventilation for the ship's entire crew particularly if the citadel procedures involve
the vessel blacking out. CCTV: the use of CCTV monitoring equipment serves several purposes-
Coming to the emergency drills, just like a fire onboard drill or an abandoned ship drill there are
piracy drills too which require the crew to look after the ship's security assessment and plan:
maintaining a speed of more than 18 knots: keeping non-lethal weapons ready:
Crew to perform citadel drill by reaching the secured location and locking it from inside. All
tools and equipment that could assist the pirates in breaching defenses should be locked away.
Citadel drill must include exactly what to do when to do it and
become fully familiar with their role and the alarms signals involved
The whole concept of the citadel is lost if any member of the crew is left outside before
the citadel is secured. When using the citadel all doors and hatches should be secured safely.
Check that the gps and communication equipment are in working condition
Both the company and the vessel should have procedures regarding the use of citadel in
place that are fully understood by all parties. As the citadel is being manned all other compartments
should be locked and all approaches to the citadel should be secured. The use of a password system to
open the door for a known person in Citadel upon an agreed verbal sign is recommended.
Drills and proper knowledge of the citadel and its equipment and features is necessary for the crew.
Now that we know about the citadel its features purposes and precautions
we come to an end of this video.
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