Narrative:

The new tower was designed to have an ids-4. City operations has a work station that they were supposed to enter NOTAMS and runway condition reports. The city isn't doing it, and there is only one conrac in a 1040 sq ft tower. It is impossible to go to the 9 inch black and white screen when you are working traffic. With winter here, braking action reports and snow condition information will not be disseminated to aircraft in a timely manner. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the ids-4 is an information based computer system and indicated that most tower position had access to it. Reporter stated that the TRACON also has access to it. Reporter stated that there is no connection with city operations yet. Reporter indicated reporter was not aware of the current status between the FAA and city operations with regard to when or if the connection would be accomplished. Reporter stated they still use the conrac 4 display with the supervisor relaying information verbally in the tower and by inputting the information on the ids-4 TRACON page to the TRACON.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NEW CTL TWR DESIGNED FOR IDS-4 SYS WITH WORK STATION FOR CITY OPS TO PROVIDE NOTAMS AND RWY CONDITION RPTS. RPTR CLAIMS IT IS NOT CONNECTED TO CITY OPS. TWR USING OTHER DISPLAY PREVIOUSLY USED IN OLD, SMALLER TWR. RPTS TO ACFT NOT DISSEMINATED IN A TIMELY MANNER.

Narrative: THE NEW TWR WAS DESIGNED TO HAVE AN IDS-4. CITY OPS HAS A WORK STATION THAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO ENTER NOTAMS AND RWY CONDITION RPTS. THE CITY ISN'T DOING IT, AND THERE IS ONLY ONE CONRAC IN A 1040 SQ FT TWR. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GO TO THE 9 INCH BLACK AND WHITE SCREEN WHEN YOU ARE WORKING TFC. WITH WINTER HERE, BRAKING ACTION RPTS AND SNOW CONDITION INFO WILL NOT BE DISSEMINATED TO ACFT IN A TIMELY MANNER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE IDS-4 IS AN INFO BASED COMPUTER SYS AND INDICATED THAT MOST TWR POS HAD ACCESS TO IT. RPTR STATED THAT THE TRACON ALSO HAS ACCESS TO IT. RPTR STATED THAT THERE IS NO CONNECTION WITH CITY OPS YET. RPTR INDICATED RPTR WAS NOT AWARE OF THE CURRENT STATUS BTWN THE FAA AND CITY OPS WITH REGARD TO WHEN OR IF THE CONNECTION WOULD BE ACCOMPLISHED. RPTR STATED THEY STILL USE THE CONRAC 4 DISPLAY WITH THE SUPVR RELAYING INFO VERBALLY IN THE TWR AND BY INPUTTING THE INFO ON THE IDS-4 TRACON PAGE TO THE TRACON.

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.