13.1 Introduction to Emergency Operations
Explains why the potential for loss of life aboard Deep Space 9 is considered higher than on a starship, how lessons learned from starship losses have been adapted for the station's mixed civilian and crew population, the primary dangers the inhabitants face, the procedures and drills established for emergencies, the cross-training of firefighting and medical crews and engineering teams, and the role of early warning and computer monitoring in keeping the station safe.
The potential for loss of life aboard Deep Space 9 is considered to be higher than that calculated for starship operations, based on the numbers of unknown dangers from threat forces, covert activities, privateers, and elusive systems failures. Collectively, starship security and systems maintenance is by no means perfect but is more easily quantifiable and historically represents an extremely safe environment. Starfleet military actions leading to high ship-loss numbers have served to make the organization that much more cognizant of the effort required to keep its crews safe and to move them to survivable areas should the situation turn grave. These lessons are being adapted for use aboard remote outposts such as Deep Space 9, where the added responsibility of providing for the safety of additional civilians and cultural leaders is analogous to that found in major planetary centers.
The primary dangers faced by the station inhabitants include fires from combustion and EPS sources, epidemic spread of bacteriological and viral agents, poison and other biohostile substance releases, energy-weapon firings, hull breaches from natural disasters, and direct attacks on Deep Space 9 from enemy actions, both internal and external. Specific procedures have been established for emergencies on the station and are practiced periodically with Starfleet and Bajoran crews. Drills involving transient personnel from other cultures are conducted as necessary, especially in cases concerning hazardous cargo and VIPs requiring special protection.
Firefighting crews are trained in the operation of suppression force field devices and extinguisher technology, evacuation procedures, and first aid techniques. Medical staff from the infirmary and associated laboratory departments are prepared to treat victims of trauma and biological agents and will seek to eliminate the causes as time permits. Engineering crews work with complex space systems to ensure that evacuations are performed safely and efficiently with onboard lifeboat craft, runabouts, shuttles, and starships, and will deal with any systems or structural breakdowns within their purview.
Early warning is vital to the combined crew's ability to deal with any danger lives. Computer monitoring of all systems, threat analysis, security sensor vigilance, and intelligence gathering all contribute to minimizing the loss of personnel and equipment assets. Technological and intuitive decision making are both utilized in keeping Deep Space 9 safe.