Narrative:

The particular incident to be described is not the first time this has happened, nor I fear will it be the last. This particular day, the cps controller received a call from the approach controller at stl (our IFR facility) that an unfamiliar aircraft was inbound with a low fuel emergency. The aircraft eventually landed without incident, although the engine did quit while taxiing in and was eventually towed to the ramp. It is unknown if the engine quit due to fuel starvation or another reason. The unsafe condition is this: there is no crash fire rescue equipment on the airport. This is unacceptable in itself, although there is a local volunteer fire department. Cps LOA/facility directives state procedures to be followed in any emergency, which include notifying local crash fire rescue equipment. In this incident it was not done. Why? The office personnel (secretary) was on the telephone. The office is located in a building separate from the control tower. (Also unacceptable.) there was no way to notify her that the phone was needed for an emergency except for tower personnel to run down several flts of stairs (there is no elevator) and tell her. While this has been done in the past (and is unacceptable), past experiences have shown that the office personnel does not immediately vacate the outside line! This is unacceptable to safety of the flying public that cps tower personnel cannot notify emergency equipment if needed. If something is not done about this, I foresee loss of life and/or equipment in the future. In the past, there was a local intercom code that could be dialed which was connected to a loudspeaker in which we could announce the need to vacate the (only) outside telephone line, but this has been broken for more than a yr. (Also unacceptable.) callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states that there are 2 telephone lines to call the emergency equipment, one is commercial and the other is fts. There is no private line dedicated for crash equipment purposes. Whenever either of these lines are busy, they cannot call the equipment out. They do have a voice line that activates when they dial 85 to the airport manager's area. This is used whenever the communication or fts lines are being used by airport people or the tower manager. The building is shared by airport and tower manager. Reporter thinks they should have a separate line that activates when the phone is picked up and it should only go to the emergency equipment house. Reporter also said that there is an off field fire house located about 3-4 blocks from the airport with a volunteer fire crew. It normally takes from 10-20 mins to respond to a call. They must also enter the airport from a locked gate that must be opened by airport personnel. A ucr was filed on the 85 line and has since been cleared up. No air carrier or commuter traffic at airport, but a lot of nga, training, and cga.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR CLAIMS THAT CONTACTING EMER EQUIP FROM THE TWR IN A TIMELY MANNER IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE THERE IS NO DEDICATED EMER LINE.

Narrative: THE PARTICULAR INCIDENT TO BE DESCRIBED IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED, NOR I FEAR WILL IT BE THE LAST. THIS PARTICULAR DAY, THE CPS CTLR RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE APCH CTLR AT STL (OUR IFR FACILITY) THAT AN UNFAMILIAR ACFT WAS INBOUND WITH A LOW FUEL EMER. THE ACFT EVENTUALLY LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, ALTHOUGH THE ENG DID QUIT WHILE TAXIING IN AND WAS EVENTUALLY TOWED TO THE RAMP. IT IS UNKNOWN IF THE ENG QUIT DUE TO FUEL STARVATION OR ANOTHER REASON. THE UNSAFE CONDITION IS THIS: THERE IS NO CFR ON THE ARPT. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE IN ITSELF, ALTHOUGH THERE IS A LCL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT. CPS LOA/FACILITY DIRECTIVES STATE PROCS TO BE FOLLOWED IN ANY EMER, WHICH INCLUDE NOTIFYING LCL CFR. IN THIS INCIDENT IT WAS NOT DONE. WHY? THE OFFICE PERSONNEL (SECRETARY) WAS ON THE TELEPHONE. THE OFFICE IS LOCATED IN A BUILDING SEPARATE FROM THE CTL TWR. (ALSO UNACCEPTABLE.) THERE WAS NO WAY TO NOTIFY HER THAT THE PHONE WAS NEEDED FOR AN EMER EXCEPT FOR TWR PERSONNEL TO RUN DOWN SEVERAL FLTS OF STAIRS (THERE IS NO ELEVATOR) AND TELL HER. WHILE THIS HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST (AND IS UNACCEPTABLE), PAST EXPERIENCES HAVE SHOWN THAT THE OFFICE PERSONNEL DOES NOT IMMEDIATELY VACATE THE OUTSIDE LINE! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE TO SAFETY OF THE FLYING PUBLIC THAT CPS TWR PERSONNEL CANNOT NOTIFY EMER EQUIP IF NEEDED. IF SOMETHING IS NOT DONE ABOUT THIS, I FORESEE LOSS OF LIFE AND/OR EQUIP IN THE FUTURE. IN THE PAST, THERE WAS A LCL INTERCOM CODE THAT COULD BE DIALED WHICH WAS CONNECTED TO A LOUDSPEAKER IN WHICH WE COULD ANNOUNCE THE NEED TO VACATE THE (ONLY) OUTSIDE TELEPHONE LINE, BUT THIS HAS BEEN BROKEN FOR MORE THAN A YR. (ALSO UNACCEPTABLE.) CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES THAT THERE ARE 2 TELEPHONE LINES TO CALL THE EMER EQUIP, ONE IS COMMERCIAL AND THE OTHER IS FTS. THERE IS NO PRIVATE LINE DEDICATED FOR CRASH EQUIP PURPOSES. WHENEVER EITHER OF THESE LINES ARE BUSY, THEY CANNOT CALL THE EQUIP OUT. THEY DO HAVE A VOICE LINE THAT ACTIVATES WHEN THEY DIAL 85 TO THE ARPT MGR'S AREA. THIS IS USED WHENEVER THE COM OR FTS LINES ARE BEING USED BY ARPT PEOPLE OR THE TWR MGR. THE BUILDING IS SHARED BY ARPT AND TWR MGR. RPTR THINKS THEY SHOULD HAVE A SEPARATE LINE THAT ACTIVATES WHEN THE PHONE IS PICKED UP AND IT SHOULD ONLY GO TO THE EMER EQUIP HOUSE. RPTR ALSO SAID THAT THERE IS AN OFF FIELD FIRE HOUSE LOCATED ABOUT 3-4 BLOCKS FROM THE ARPT WITH A VOLUNTEER FIRE CREW. IT NORMALLY TAKES FROM 10-20 MINS TO RESPOND TO A CALL. THEY MUST ALSO ENTER THE ARPT FROM A LOCKED GATE THAT MUST BE OPENED BY ARPT PERSONNEL. A UCR WAS FILED ON THE 85 LINE AND HAS SINCE BEEN CLRED UP. NO ACR OR COMMUTER TFC AT ARPT, BUT A LOT OF NGA, TRAINING, AND CGA.

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.