Atmos Techs Need Proper Gear

[NebulaFlare]

Yes yes, they are technically 'Atmos Techs' and not engineering. But come on, let's face it. Engineers and atmos techs work hand in hand. Engineers have access to pumps and scrubbers, and can operate the pipe dispensers. But Atmos techs are barred from a lot of things in engineering.

List of suggestions to improve Atmos Techs:

1. Add meson scanners into Atmos Tech lockers (they fix breaches too, should be automatic)

2. Add ID permissions to engineering storage (Atmos techs need gear in there too)

3. Add ID permissions to the engineering bathroom for atmos tech from the break room. (Yes, it doesn't give permissions for them to use the bathroom from breakroom. only the dorms)

4. Add ID permissions to engineering vending machines.

5. Add ID permissions to welding and electrical closets.

[*]Atmos techs use welders. They should be allowed to get the better welders

[*]Electrical closets are arguable. Technically, that's the electrician's job. BUT. Atmos techs need to hack doors and work around live wires too. They should receive insulated gloves for protection as well.

Atmos techs and engineers have interchangeable jobs. Each side is expected to have at least minimal knowledge of the other. I don't expect someone w ho works strictly Atmos to understand how the engine functions, or the exact settings of SMES, same way as an engineer is mostly excused from understanding the method of mixing gas canisters or heating/cooling them. Those are job specifics. But both roles still fix breaches, have access to air alarms, work with metal and glass, put out fires, hack doors, repair the station, and re-pressurize it. They both require basic equipment.

[keinto]

There is a welding closet on the northwest side of the Engineering break room where you can get industrial welders, but not welding goggles.

I agree with most of your suggestions strongly, but I think some of them are a bit of a stretch:

While I think Atmos techs should have sufficient electrical knowledge to install air alarms, they shouldn't be able to hack doors without at least an Engineer telling them the specific wire. If they need hacking to re-pressurize a certain area, an Engineer should be with them to fix the breach anyway, which happens way less than it should.

[nbielinski]

While a few of your suggestions seem to make atmospherics techs a watered down version of engineers, I can say in full honesty that doesn't sound too bad. Atmospheric technicians work generally shoulder to shoulder with engineers the only difference being we fill rooms and they build them. And more often than not the lines are blurred and atmospheric technicians must repair walls and build rooms side by side with engineers. There is a reason atmospheric technicians start with more tools than just a wrench, and there is a reason they begin with metal.

I like these suggestions, atmospherics in general gets good upgrades and looks like a rather attractive system to work with but I wouldn't mind if atmospheric technicians got a bit of a leg up. As in many cases we must scavenge and scrounge up equipment or ask engineers.

[Jamini]

...they shouldn't be able to hack doors without at least an Engineer telling them the specific wire. If they need hacking to re-pressurize a certain area, an Engineer should be with them to fix the breach anyway, which happens way less than it should.

 

In any organization, cross-training is often a thing.

Skills should be character-specific, not determined by job.

I do not see why a fully fledged atmos technician with a degree would never have taken a course or two in electrical systems. Quite the opposite in fact, I'd imagine many technicians who hold a Bachlor's degree or more in "Environmental Systems" (Which is a requirement of the job) would have had at least a handful of Electrical Engineering courses.

[Guest]

I will argue that the job of engineer and atmos tech are different, I hate atmos techs who go around with everything an engineer has, fixing doors, hacking into places, building rooms.

It starts to make engineer a one person fix all rather than a team work focus.

I'm unwilling to add atmos access to electrical closets, as they are there to look after the atmosphrics in the station, electrical engineering is a different subject.

[nbielinski]

While its true that techie's might get a bit over zealous and sure they might take up engineering jobs. But in many cases it seems to be the issue of engineers being busy or engineers not being willing to spread equipment and let atmospheric techs do the job. And from personal experience I've seen atmospheric techs given full engineering equipment and despite this all none of them tries to enact themselves as the supreme being of engineering. Rather they seem to work better as a team, one whole unit able to work well and even replace wounded individuals in the line of work. The equipment that separates the two jobs might even be seen as hindering progress but I digress. I find it somewhat iffy to say that an atmospheric technician wouldn't know jack about electrical systems, just, seems a bit odd that a person who is trained to make sure that the system of airflow in the station doesn't get KO'd and fuck up, wouldn't understand or have the access to using a multitool (which is given to atmospheric techs at the start of shifts as well) and a pair of insulated gloves if the case gets dirty.

[NebulaFlare]

I always thought that one multi tool is so Atmos techs could hack their way to the axe. (get it? Hack? Axe? Because it's an axe and...oh, nevermind..)

If we can't add access to electrical closets, can we then add electrical gloves laying around in the storage?

[Jamini]

It starts to make engineer a one person fix all rather than a team work focus.

 

Teamwork focus has absolutely nothing to do with your access or gear, and is entirely dependent on the people involved. THAT SAID.

I don't feel that atmos techs should have access to insulated gloves by default, however, as they don't need that equipment to fill their role.

I also don't feel engineers should have air alarm access by default, as likewise they do not need that access to fill their role.

I do feel that no matter what you do mechanically, most technicians and engineers will end up sharing proprietary equipment and access regardless of what you do mechanically. And I do feel that OOCly trying to enforce distinctions will end in failure and much bitter, pointless bickering.

[NebulaFlare]

It starts to make engineer a one person fix all rather than a team work focus.

 

Teamwork focus has absolutely nothing to do with your access or gear, and is entirely dependent on the people involved. THAT SAID.

I don't feel that atmos techs should have access to insulated gloves by default, however, as they don't need that equipment to fill their role.

I also don't feel engineers should have air alarm access by default, as likewise they do not need that access to fill their role.

I do feel that no matter what you do mechanically, most technicians and engineers will end up sharing proprietary equipment and access regardless of what you do mechanically. And I do feel that OOCly trying to enforce distinctions will end in failure and much bitter, pointless bickering.

 

True point. To be honest, I do like the idea of them sharing - it promotes a sense of needing teamwork.

What I mostly want to see is an equal footing with atmos techs and engineers. As it stands, Atmos techs have a bit more 'social standing' from a business perspective. It's not the case within the department - Most anyone can respect someone who can untangle the mess of Atmosia..

Engineers have access to stuff that Atmos techs have access to, when atmos techs get the short end of the stick. (they don't even start out with meson scanners) If we wanna keep electrical gear strictly for engineers, then shouldn't we also limit similar job functions to atmos techs? I am thinking making the pipe dispenser strictly for Atmos - and I can probably pull from example. One round, an engineer who will not be named, had absolutely zero knowledge of Atmos. Zilch. we were repairing a breach, and when I came to check on things, he screwed up fixinf the distro, by adding a scrubber where air tanks were supposed to hooked up, into the clean air line, and we were confuzzled for awhile on how to undo it because the pressure in pipes were too high.

[Jamini]

The pipe dispenser spawns in atmospherics. Engineers only have access if atmos techs or the CE allow them to get to the machinery.

I see no issue. (P.s. Turn off the scrubber. Then unwrench it)

[SierraKomodo]

One round, an engineer who will not be named, had absolutely zero knowledge of Atmos. Zilch. we were repairing a breach, and when I came to check on things, he screwed up fixinf the distro, by adding a scrubber where air tanks were supposed to hooked up, into the clean air line, and we were confuzzled for awhile on how to undo it because the pressure in pipes were too high.

 

I remember this round. It ended up being Ziva, who knows fuck all about atmos beyond how to wrench/unwrench a pipe, who fixed it... By turning the valve on and off. She was so proud of herself.

More on topic, as Katana, I've found myself in situations where electrical gloves would have been useful, particularly when it comes to modifying pipe layouts. Went to temporarily remove a grill so I could relocate some pipes, and I got a nasty shock from it. Door hacking and such I've personally never actually had a need for as an atmos tech so far (Though I can see that being an issue if there's no active engineers and there's a breach somewhere) since an atmos tech has the central console thing that connects to all air alarms on the station, and can delegate to the engineers 'You take these pumps/scrubbers, put them in the room, hit the switch and dont touch it til I say otherwise'.

[PoZe]

I will argue that the job of engineer and atmos tech are different, I hate atmos techs who go around with everything an engineer has, fixing doors, hacking into places, building rooms.

It starts to make engineer a one person fix all rather than a team work focus.

I'm unwilling to add atmos access to electrical closets, as they are there to look after the atmosphrics in the station, electrical engineering is a different subject.

And i would Argue with that. For example we have a lot of characters with both skills as Atmos and an enigneer, but due to the lack of slot they are carrying one job. Engineers has Air alarm access, why the should have it if they don't have atmos skill and it's not their Job. Seperating atmos and engineering is fine, but in emergency situation if you know your job and you have skills you can work as both proffessions.