The Pierce Class offers the latest in medical care that Federation science has to offer, all tucked into a mobile platform. Facilities on these ships can rival those found in most starbases or in planetary based care centers.
On an every day basis, Pierce Class ships are deployed so that they are roughly equidistant throughout the Federation. When a there is a specific need outside of the every day, the nearest ship (or ships, depending on the size of the need) is dispatched, and the rest of the Pierce Class ships adjust their positions to maintain as close to universal coverage throughout the Federation as possible.
Some specific missions Pierce Class ships may be called for include, but are not limited to, orbiting new colony worlds until planet based facilities are operational, being dispatched to aid and augment existing medical facilities in cases of outbreak or other planetary emergencies, or in the rare cases Starfleet engages in planned military operations, a Pierce Class vessel will be positioned a few light years behind the lines, using a fleet of warp capable ambulance shuttles to ferry wounded from the front.
The Pierce Class has amongst the largest internal volumes of any Starfleet vessels. Aside from the usual space dedicated to ship functions and crew facilities, the majority of the volume in the front half of the vessel is filled with sickbay facilities and medical science laboratories. The rear half of the ship, aside from the standard engineering facilities, is filled with transporter rooms and shuttle bays for the transport of patients and medical staff. In cases where Pierce Class vessels are deployed to assist planet based medical situations, in addition to care aboard ship, the Pierce Class carries enough personnel and supplies to set up up to five planet based emergency medical care centers.
Pierce class ships are one of the few classes of Starfleet vessels that carry no armament whatsoever, as befitting their status as a non-combatant vessel. If a Pierce Class ship is being dispatched to a potentially hazardous area, it is necessary to make sure she has an escort such as a Destroyer or a few Corvettes. So far, only one ship in this class (the U.S.S. Blake) has been lost in the line of duty. Although still a tragedy, fortunately it was when the ship was ambushed by Orion pirates while returning to port after a mission, and thus at the time there were only minimal patients aboard.
On an every day basis, Pierce Class ships are deployed so that they are roughly equidistant throughout the Federation. When a there is a specific need outside of the every day, the nearest ship (or ships, depending on the size of the need) is dispatched, and the rest of the Pierce Class ships adjust their positions to maintain as close to universal coverage throughout the Federation as possible.
Some specific missions Pierce Class ships may be called for include, but are not limited to, orbiting new colony worlds until planet based facilities are operational, being dispatched to aid and augment existing medical facilities in cases of outbreak or other planetary emergencies, or in the rare cases Starfleet engages in planned military operations, a Pierce Class vessel will be positioned a few light years behind the lines, using a fleet of warp capable ambulance shuttles to ferry wounded from the front.
The Pierce Class has amongst the largest internal volumes of any Starfleet vessels. Aside from the usual space dedicated to ship functions and crew facilities, the majority of the volume in the front half of the vessel is filled with sickbay facilities and medical science laboratories. The rear half of the ship, aside from the standard engineering facilities, is filled with transporter rooms and shuttle bays for the transport of patients and medical staff. In cases where Pierce Class vessels are deployed to assist planet based medical situations, in addition to care aboard ship, the Pierce Class carries enough personnel and supplies to set up up to five planet based emergency medical care centers.
Pierce class ships are one of the few classes of Starfleet vessels that carry no armament whatsoever, as befitting their status as a non-combatant vessel. If a Pierce Class ship is being dispatched to a potentially hazardous area, it is necessary to make sure she has an escort such as a Destroyer or a few Corvettes. So far, only one ship in this class (the U.S.S. Blake) has been lost in the line of duty. Although still a tragedy, fortunately it was when the ship was ambushed by Orion pirates while returning to port after a mission, and thus at the time there were only minimal patients aboard.
List of Ships:
NCC-4050 U.S.S. Pierce
NCC-4051 U.S.S. McIntyre NCC-4052 U.S.S. Blake * NCC-4053 U.S.S. Potter NCC-4054 U.S.S. Burns NCC-4055 U.S.S. Houlihan NCC-4056 U.S.S. Winchester NCC-4057 U.S.S. O'Reilly NCC-4058 U.S.S. Mulcahy NCC-4059 U.S.S. Klinger NCC-4060 U.S.S. Kellye NCC-4061 U.S.S. Straminsky NCC-4062 U.S.S. Rizzo NCC-4063 U.S.S. Freedman NCC-4064 U.S.S. Flagg NCC-4065 U.S.S. Jones NCC-4066 U.S.S. Black |
NCC-4067 U.S.S. Ho-Jon
NCC-4068 U.S.S. Dish NCC-4089 U.S.S. Penobscott NCC-4070 U.S.S. Zale NCC-4071 U.S.S. Soon-Lee NCC-4072 U.S.S. Hammond NCC-4073 U.S.S. Cutler NCC-4074 U.S.S. Ballis NCC-4075 U.S.S. Bannerman NCC-4076 U.S.S. Able NCC-4077 U.S.S. Honeycutt NCC-4078 U.S.S. Baker NCC-4079 U.S.S. Bigelow NCC-4080 U.S.S. Shari NCC-4081 U.S.S. Scorch NCC-4082 U.S.S. Ann NCC-4083 U.S.S. Webster |
* ship lost in the line of duty