Narrative:

Approximately 6 months ago, facility management decided to resector salt lake city center and create an additional specialty, (from 3 areas of specialization to 4) for reasons that are still obscure to me and most controllers, other then possibly to create 8 more supervisory positions. Input from controller workgroups was solicited to aid in the resectorization process; however, this input was wholly ignored, since management apparently decided to have every area of specialization certify on at least one sector adjacent to slc approach control, thereby presumably to equalize the workload among controllers. Now, instead of having to deal with just one specialty for smooth interaction between facs, slc approach control will have to deal with 4 specialties and the complexities inherent in such an arrangement. Be all this as it may the disturbing fact now is that virtually every fpl in this facility is involved in some form of x-trning and consequently not available, at various times, to man the sectors of his or her original area of specialization. As a consequence, sectors that should be decombined are not, sectors that should be staffed by two people are not and with the new flow control assigned rtes to ord, sectors are frequently overloaded. Service to the users is certainly derogated when I, as a controller have the feeling that the sector is controling me instead of the other way around. I am writing this report because I feel that service to the users and possibly safety is compromised on numerous occasions and that the resectorization process could have been handled quite a bit more efficiently, with minimum impact on training and service. There are today sectors in this facility which should be split by altitude stratification or area to prevent overload. Furthermore, our already stressed staffing situation, compromised by attrition through retirement and assignments to staff positions cannot be helped by this type of approach to solve a facility sector realignment scheme. In summary, I as a controller with considerable exposure to air traffic problem solutions, have never been exposed to such a misguided approach to facility resectorization, and being truly dedicated to efficient service to the users, I have the uneasy feeling that this facility may not provide the efficient service to the users for which it had heretofore enjoyed its reputation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER FEELS THAT HIS FAC MAY NOT BE PROVIDING EFFICIENT SERVICE TO THE USERS DUE TO A RECENT INCREASE IN THE AREA OF SPECIALIZATION.

Narrative: APPROX 6 MONTHS AGO, FAC MGMNT DECIDED TO RESECTOR SALT LAKE CITY CTR AND CREATE AN ADDITIONAL SPECIALTY, (FROM 3 AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION TO 4) FOR REASONS THAT ARE STILL OBSCURE TO ME AND MOST CTLRS, OTHER THEN POSSIBLY TO CREATE 8 MORE SUPERVISORY POSITIONS. INPUT FROM CTLR WORKGROUPS WAS SOLICITED TO AID IN THE RESECTORIZATION PROCESS; HOWEVER, THIS INPUT WAS WHOLLY IGNORED, SINCE MGMNT APPARENTLY DECIDED TO HAVE EVERY AREA OF SPECIALIZATION CERTIFY ON AT LEAST ONE SECTOR ADJACENT TO SLC APCH CTL, THEREBY PRESUMABLY TO EQUALIZE THE WORKLOAD AMONG CTLRS. NOW, INSTEAD OF HAVING TO DEAL WITH JUST ONE SPECIALTY FOR SMOOTH INTERACTION BTWN FACS, SLC APCH CTL WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH 4 SPECIALTIES AND THE COMPLEXITIES INHERENT IN SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT. BE ALL THIS AS IT MAY THE DISTURBING FACT NOW IS THAT VIRTUALLY EVERY FPL IN THIS FAC IS INVOLVED IN SOME FORM OF X-TRNING AND CONSEQUENTLY NOT AVAILABLE, AT VARIOUS TIMES, TO MAN THE SECTORS OF HIS OR HER ORIGINAL AREA OF SPECIALIZATION. AS A CONSEQUENCE, SECTORS THAT SHOULD BE DECOMBINED ARE NOT, SECTORS THAT SHOULD BE STAFFED BY TWO PEOPLE ARE NOT AND WITH THE NEW FLOW CTL ASSIGNED RTES TO ORD, SECTORS ARE FREQUENTLY OVERLOADED. SVC TO THE USERS IS CERTAINLY DEROGATED WHEN I, AS A CTLR HAVE THE FEELING THAT THE SECTOR IS CTLING ME INSTEAD OF THE OTHER WAY AROUND. I AM WRITING THIS RPT BECAUSE I FEEL THAT SVC TO THE USERS AND POSSIBLY SAFETY IS COMPROMISED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND THAT THE RESECTORIZATION PROCESS COULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED QUITE A BIT MORE EFFICIENTLY, WITH MINIMUM IMPACT ON TRNING AND SVC. THERE ARE TODAY SECTORS IN THIS FAC WHICH SHOULD BE SPLIT BY ALT STRATIFICATION OR AREA TO PREVENT OVERLOAD. FURTHERMORE, OUR ALREADY STRESSED STAFFING SITUATION, COMPROMISED BY ATTRITION THROUGH RETIREMENT AND ASSIGNMENTS TO STAFF POSITIONS CANNOT BE HELPED BY THIS TYPE OF APCH TO SOLVE A FAC SECTOR REALIGNMENT SCHEME. IN SUMMARY, I AS A CTLR WITH CONSIDERABLE EXPOSURE TO AIR TFC PROB SOLUTIONS, HAVE NEVER BEEN EXPOSED TO SUCH A MISGUIDED APCH TO FAC RESECTORIZATION, AND BEING TRULY DEDICATED TO EFFICIENT SVC TO THE USERS, I HAVE THE UNEASY FEELING THAT THIS FAC MAY NOT PROVIDE THE EFFICIENT SVC TO THE USERS FOR WHICH IT HAD HERETOFORE ENJOYED ITS REPUTATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.