Narrative:

Ever since the strike jax center staffing had been below required levels. On 1/X/81 there were 66 full performance controllers in the south area. Traffic has increased approximately 37 percent since 1981. Staffing as of today, 38 full performance controllers, 57 percent of prestrike full performance controllers. Staffing in the south area should be 22 full performance controllers based on the following breakdown. One for each radar position and 'D' side, 12 people. These numbers have gone well below 12 and 9 many times. Very little overtime is being used to help staffing in the south area. We are told there is no overtime money available yet other area are using overtime. We are the shortest area in the house staffing wise. In 1981 we also staffed the 'a' sides with one person for each position, now we have one person working two positions, another person works three. Strips are continually not getting to the radar controller who is sometimes working aircraft west/O the flight plan. On this date, 4/X/91, we had 5 people on the 7 to 3 shift. The 8 to 4 shift had 2, total of 7 people to work 12 positions with no breaks. I asked the assistant air traffic manager to help us when he made his daily stroll through the control room about xx:15. He sent two staff people and we used two supervisors from our area to work traffic. We had a total of 11 people (until the 10 to 6 shift came in). Due to bad WX in the area (which had been in the area for 3 days) all people were plugged in working traffic. Lately working more than 2 hours on position had been common. At 10 O'clock we had 5 controllers come in. Two sectors were using trackers, R76, and R57. One of the supervisors was asked to split R57-58, which is normally done at 8 O'clock in the morning. He was told we did not have enough people to split them. These two sectors were split about 10 am. Breaks were cut to 10 mins each. This time period does not give you a chance to relax your thinking power. It frustrates the controllers because they are not relaxed when they come back to work sector traffic out of control. Another thing, what can you do in 10 mins? It takes longer than that to go to the restroom. Controllers were working as much as three hours west/O a decent break with heavy traffic and WX. This type of atmosphere only leads to an unsafe working environment and burn out.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER BELIEVES THERE IS CTLR STAFFING SHORTAGE IN THE SOUTH AREA.

Narrative: EVER SINCE THE STRIKE JAX CTR STAFFING HAD BEEN BELOW REQUIRED LEVELS. ON 1/X/81 THERE WERE 66 FULL PERFORMANCE CTLRS IN THE S AREA. TFC HAS INCREASED APPROX 37 PERCENT SINCE 1981. STAFFING AS OF TODAY, 38 FULL PERFORMANCE CTLRS, 57 PERCENT OF PRESTRIKE FULL PERFORMANCE CTLRS. STAFFING IN THE S AREA SHOULD BE 22 FULL PERFORMANCE CTLRS BASED ON THE FOLLOWING BREAKDOWN. ONE FOR EACH RADAR POS AND 'D' SIDE, 12 PEOPLE. THESE NUMBERS HAVE GONE WELL BELOW 12 AND 9 MANY TIMES. VERY LITTLE OVERTIME IS BEING USED TO HELP STAFFING IN THE S AREA. WE ARE TOLD THERE IS NO OVERTIME MONEY AVAILABLE YET OTHER AREA ARE USING OVERTIME. WE ARE THE SHORTEST AREA IN THE HOUSE STAFFING WISE. IN 1981 WE ALSO STAFFED THE 'A' SIDES WITH ONE PERSON FOR EACH POS, NOW WE HAVE ONE PERSON WORKING TWO POSITIONS, ANOTHER PERSON WORKS THREE. STRIPS ARE CONTINUALLY NOT GETTING TO THE RADAR CTLR WHO IS SOMETIMES WORKING ACFT W/O THE FLT PLAN. ON THIS DATE, 4/X/91, WE HAD 5 PEOPLE ON THE 7 TO 3 SHIFT. THE 8 TO 4 SHIFT HAD 2, TOTAL OF 7 PEOPLE TO WORK 12 POSITIONS WITH NO BREAKS. I ASKED THE ASSISTANT AIR TFC MGR TO HELP US WHEN HE MADE HIS DAILY STROLL THROUGH THE CTL ROOM ABOUT XX:15. HE SENT TWO STAFF PEOPLE AND WE USED TWO SUPVRS FROM OUR AREA TO WORK TFC. WE HAD A TOTAL OF 11 PEOPLE (UNTIL THE 10 TO 6 SHIFT CAME IN). DUE TO BAD WX IN THE AREA (WHICH HAD BEEN IN THE AREA FOR 3 DAYS) ALL PEOPLE WERE PLUGGED IN WORKING TFC. LATELY WORKING MORE THAN 2 HRS ON POS HAD BEEN COMMON. AT 10 O'CLOCK WE HAD 5 CTLRS COME IN. TWO SECTORS WERE USING TRACKERS, R76, AND R57. ONE OF THE SUPVRS WAS ASKED TO SPLIT R57-58, WHICH IS NORMALLY DONE AT 8 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. HE WAS TOLD WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TO SPLIT THEM. THESE TWO SECTORS WERE SPLIT ABOUT 10 AM. BREAKS WERE CUT TO 10 MINS EACH. THIS TIME PERIOD DOES NOT GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO RELAX YOUR THINKING PWR. IT FRUSTRATES THE CTLRS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT RELAXED WHEN THEY COME BACK TO WORK SECTOR TFC OUT OF CTL. ANOTHER THING, WHAT CAN YOU DO IN 10 MINS? IT TAKES LONGER THAN THAT TO GO TO THE RESTROOM. CTLRS WERE WORKING AS MUCH AS THREE HRS W/O A DECENT BREAK WITH HVY TFC AND WX. THIS TYPE OF ATMOSPHERE ONLY LEADS TO AN UNSAFE WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND BURN OUT.

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.