Security Procedures

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Individuals aboard starships may be assigned to separate areas of the ship for Battle Stations, Vessel Evacuation Stations, Damage Control Stations, Intruder Alert Stations, Assembly and Inspection Stations, General Quarters or other degrees of vessel readiness.

There are different levels of General Quarters, a term describing the crew's readiness for combat aboard the ship. On Star Fleet vessels, the degree of readiness ranges from General Quarters One through Six, sometimes called Security One through Six. Each level has its own tactics to protect the ship and its personnel from capture or destruction.

As with other procedures, the preparation for General Quarters are modified occasionally to take new technology and security procedures into consideration. The procedures listed below are complete, but can be modified depending on personnel and equipment aboard each vessel.

General Quarters Levels

Condition Green

This level occurs when the starship at no discernible alert level. Standard duty shift rotations for all departments. Normal security patrols (as scheduled by COS) only.

General Quarters One

This level occurs when the starship is on Yellow Alert. There is no obvious change in ship's routine, though one Security Officer may be stationed on the bridge. All Security Officers are issued phasers from the ship's armory. Sidearms are default to stun. All other departments maintain normal shift rotations and assignments (except where ordered).

General Quarters Two

The level always occurs when the starship is on Red Alert. One or two Security Officers are stationed on the bridge, and one to four Security Officers take up stand-by positions on each non-engineering deck. Fully equipped detachments of four or more Security Officers each may be sent to the transporter rooms and hangar bays. All personnel/departments are held in their current shift with all crew maintaining duty locations until the situation has been resolved (or duty shift is relieved). All off duty personnel are instructed to maintain duty readiness and, if not in a designated shelter area, ordered to remain in (or return to) their quarters.

General Quarters Three

This level is most often used during an Intruder Alert. Pairs of armed Security Officers patrol every corridor on every deck. Two Security Officers are stationed on the bridge, and the Chief of Security routinely checks corridors via audio-visual and/or infrared sensor monitors. If the ship is so equipped, its Automatic Bridge Defense System is activated. Phaser sidearms are default to heavy stun. All on-duty personnel are armed and on-duty personnel, regardless of department, are held in active rotation (regardless of time in duty cycle), unless otherwise ordered. All security personnel are placed on active duty. Non-essential and off duty non-security personnel are confined to quarters.

General Quarters Four

This level and above are reserved for major boarding attacks or hijackings. Pairs of armed Security Officers wearing Security armor patrol every corridor on every deck. Security Officers are dispatched to guard sensitive areas, including the bridge, auxiliary bridge, engineering, hangar bay, and life support. The hangar bay doors are usually locked shut, and some security bulkheads may be closed, isolating selected areas of the ship. Phaser sidearms may be set to kill as default. All personnel are armed and, regardless of department, are held in active rotation (regardless of time in duty cycle), unless otherwise ordered. All security personnel are placed on active duty. Non-essential and off duty non-security personnel are confined to quarters or ordered to evacuation points.

General Quarters Five

All turbolifts are shut down, and all security bulkheads and hangar bay doors are closed. Security Officers are issued personal breathing apparatus, and some or all decks may be flooded with neural gas, a powerful, fast-acting tranquilizer. All personnel are armed and placed on active duty.

General Quarters Six

Vents from the engineering fusion chambers are opened, releasing fatal quantities of radioactive gas throughout most decks of the ship. Total crew casualties may run as high as 70 percent. All personnel are armed and placed on active duty.

Star Fleet Regulation 2005 is sometimes called General Quarters Seven. This regulation outlines some of the criteria used to determine when a starship's senior officers should implement the vessel's self-destruct sequence.

Security Procedures

Security Clearance

Occasionally Security Officers will come across information that exceeds their Clearance. In those instances, they must secure the data without further examination and deliver it to their Senior Officer. If field agents are ever forced to reveal classified information, they should reveal as little as possible and express it in the vaguest terms.

Surrendering

Sometimes Officers are captured by enemy forces. If capture does not jeopardize the mission, an Officer may surrender. If the Officer has a particularly high Security Clearance, they should consider a more permanent method of keeping those secrets.

Hostage Situations

Innocent bystanders will sometimes become involved in conflicts between Security Officers and their opposition. In hostage or extortion/demand situations, Security must work to safeguard the lives of hostages to whatever extent possible. However, one person or even a large number of people is not more important than the plans for a weapon that could kill millions or billions.

Taking Prisoners

Security Officers will rarely have the opportunity to take prisoners. If working on a friendly or UFP member world, Star Fleet personnel should turn the prisoners over to the local authorities. If they are operating on a neutral or hostile world where such criminals may not be prosecuted for their actions, the Officers should transfer them to the nearest Federation installation or world. Because of diplomatic relations, they may need to do this in secret.

Under no circumstances should the Senior Officer risk his starship, crew, equipment or data to transport enemies unless there is absolutely no chance that the enemy can take over the ship.