Star Trek: During A Red Alert, What Does Non-Essential Crew Do?

gamerant.com:

Nobody could have anticipated the impact Star Trek would have in the years following its release in the 1960s, let alone the show's creator Gene Roddenberry, who was faced with poor feedback and cancellation of the Original Series. This, thankfully, didn't last and the TV shows and movies became a staple of the space faring science fiction genre.

Some fans complain about how the new iterations into the franchise lean towards heavy action sequences over political or philosophical quandaries (something Roddenberry is likely to have disapproved of). However, was always action in the early shows, normally accompanied by the iconic call to action “Red alert!” While it’s fairly clear what this means for Starfleet personnel, what happens to the non-essential crew aboard?

RELATED:Star Trek: How Was Warp Achieved When Dilithium Is Not Found On Earth?

Historically, or at least in real life on a contemporary vessel, each and every member of crew has a designated station in addition to their regular duty station. This means that during a red alert (or whatever phrase the crew uses to indicate emergency), everyone has a specific place to be in order to help make sure the ship is able to function at peak efficiency. Even those aboard who were specifically non-combative, like the catering staff or cleaning crew, would have their own action station, often being part of the first aid teams, damage control, or fighting fires. While it would not be specifically in their job description to do this normally, they were trained in various relief roles so that they would be of use in an emergency situation.

This, of course, is a very specific example that applies not only to modern day navy ships, but also to ships that are very unlikely to carry