Squads and Patrols

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Squads (Dragons)

The skies above Warden's Weyr are patrolled by dragons both day and night. To best distribute the work over the limited number of dragons currently assigned to Warden's, the dragons are broken into squads.

At current, there are six squads at Warden's Weyr and every rider of an adult dragon is assigned to one of the squads. Each squad has five dragons in total including a squadleader and a squadsecond. The squadleader is in charge of the squad, and is also responsible for seeing to the squads training. The squadsecond is responsible for taking over should the squadleader be unable to fly. A squadleader can be on any color dragon, provided that dragon can last through an entire day's patrol schedule. At their modern sizes, most dragons, excepting very small greens, are capable of this.

Squad patrols fly four hour shifts, for 24 hours. So, four hours up, four hours off, four hours up, four hours off. It's an incredibly grueling schedule, but one made necessary by the small number of dragons available. Two squads are in the air at any given time, with four squads working on any given day. So, squad A. and B. are up for four hours. Then squad C. and D. take over for four hours. Then squad A. and B. again. And so forth.

Squads have two days off a sevenday, with two of the six squads getting a third day off, which is usually used for training. Which squads have the extra day off rotates every sevenday, so that every squad will have three days off once in a set of three sevendays.

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Patrols (Whers)

At night, the prison and the surrounding environs are patrolled by whers. They work from sundown to sunup, with breaks for meals only.

There are, at current, ten patrols, and each patrol consists of three whers and their handlers. Each patrol has a patrol leader, who is in charge of maintaining discipline and seeing to training. The patrol leader can be a handler to any color wher. On any given night, eight patrols will be at work.

Those working on wher patrol are given two nights off a sevenday. One of those two nights is generally used for training.

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Guards (Humans)

Those guards unbonded to dragons or whers are simply called guards. They work days and nights, with their shifts determained by the Guardmaster. While guarding is still hard work, it's not quite so grueling as working with a squad or a patrol, mostly because Warden's Weyr isn't nearly as short on people as it is on whers and dragons. Still, guards work five days in every seven, for a minimum of eight hours a day. They're allowed breaks and meals, but they spend most their time working. Their free days are their own.

Canines are quite popular at Warden's Weyr in general, and among the guards in particular. Many do their patrols with a well trained and large canine at their side. Firelizards are another popular patrol companion.

Some guards actually form friendships with the prisoners, or choose to interact with them during meals and breaks. This is frowned on but, generally, not punished. Guards found playing a game of dragonpoker with a prisoner during their break might get a raised eyebrow, but provided they continue to do their job well, it's unlikely that anything else will take place.