Starship security procedures

Starfleet uses a large number of security procedures and protocols to safeguard the lives of its personnel, and to prevent valuable Starfleet resources from falling into the wrong hands. 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 Starfleet vessels, the degree of readiness ranges from general quarters one through five, sometimes called security one through five. 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.

## General Quarters Levels

### General Quarters One

The level occurs when the starship/installation is on yellow alert. There is no obvious change in routine, though one security office may be stationed in the bridge/command center. All security officers are issued phasers from the armory. Sidearms are locked on stun.

### General Quarters Two

The level occurs when the starship/installation is on red alert. One or two security officers are stationed on the bridge, and one to four security officers take stand-by positions. Fully equipped security detachments may be sent to transporter rooms and hangar bays.

### General Quarters Three

This level is most often used during an intruder alert. Pairs of armed security officers patrol every corridor. 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/installation is so equipped, its automatic bridge defense system is activated. Phaser sidearms are locked on heavy stun.

### General Quarters Four

This level and above are reserved for major boarding attacks or hijackings. Pair of armed security officers wearing armor patrol every corridor. Security officers are dispatched to guard sensitive areas, including the bridge/command center, engineering, hangar bays, life support, etc. The hangar bay doors are locked shut, and some security bulkheads may be closed, isolating certain areas of the ship/installation. Phaser sidearms may be set to kill.

### 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.

## General 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

In accordance with Starfleet ethics codes regarding the taking of life, Security Officers should always attempt to stun or otherwise non-permanently incapacitate hostile individuals irrespective of alleged crimes. Standard Starfleet phasers are equipped with sixteen beam settings to ensure that almost any life form can be safely stunned. The gratuitous taking of life, or taking perverse pleasure in the same, is unacceptable for any officer.