ARTCC radar controller complaint about staffing, equipment, procedures and facility FAA policy. Does...

Narrative:

ATC staffing levels stink. Given the continual upgrades to equipment, computers, communications, etc, people are off the floor all the time. Additionally, with other things going on, staffing for the operation is hurting. Other parts of the FAA are downsized, so more controllers are used for 'other duties.' supervisors are given more duties, so they pawn more off on ATC's. Finally, the agency shows no signs of increasing hiring, yet poststrike replacements are now 3-8 yrs from becoming eligible for retirement. Given 3-4 yrs to check out in a center or busy TRACON, things are going to suck if something isn't done soon. Shifts: backwards shift rotation (swing-swing-day-day-mid) is terrible for internal body clocks. Exacerbated at ctrs like ZSE, ZMP, and other northerly ctrs where winter nights are 14-16 hours long. Controllers in many other westernized nations work 30-35 hour weeks, on more reasonable shift rotations. Many people I know would take a 10 percent pay cut to work a 36-hour week, 4-9 hour shifts, standard. Tired controllers do bad work, myself included. There have been times where I got maximum sleep possible between shifts and still couldn't stay alert. Increasing traffic and lower staffing and old technology and crummy shift rotations equal lower safety!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR COMPLAINT ABOUT STAFFING, EQUIP, PROCS AND FACILITY FAA POLICY. DOESN'T LIKE THE SHIFT WORK AND SAYS TOO MANY DUTIES.

Narrative: ATC STAFFING LEVELS STINK. GIVEN THE CONTINUAL UPGRADES TO EQUIP, COMPUTERS, COMS, ETC, PEOPLE ARE OFF THE FLOOR ALL THE TIME. ADDITIONALLY, WITH OTHER THINGS GOING ON, STAFFING FOR THE OP IS HURTING. OTHER PARTS OF THE FAA ARE DOWNSIZED, SO MORE CTLRS ARE USED FOR 'OTHER DUTIES.' SUPVRS ARE GIVEN MORE DUTIES, SO THEY PAWN MORE OFF ON ATC'S. FINALLY, THE AGENCY SHOWS NO SIGNS OF INCREASING HIRING, YET POSTSTRIKE REPLACEMENTS ARE NOW 3-8 YRS FROM BECOMING ELIGIBLE FOR RETIREMENT. GIVEN 3-4 YRS TO CHK OUT IN A CTR OR BUSY TRACON, THINGS ARE GOING TO SUCK IF SOMETHING ISN'T DONE SOON. SHIFTS: BACKWARDS SHIFT ROTATION (SWING-SWING-DAY-DAY-MID) IS TERRIBLE FOR INTERNAL BODY CLOCKS. EXACERBATED AT CTRS LIKE ZSE, ZMP, AND OTHER NORTHERLY CTRS WHERE WINTER NIGHTS ARE 14-16 HRS LONG. CTLRS IN MANY OTHER WESTERNIZED NATIONS WORK 30-35 HR WKS, ON MORE REASONABLE SHIFT ROTATIONS. MANY PEOPLE I KNOW WOULD TAKE A 10 PERCENT PAY CUT TO WORK A 36-HR WK, 4-9 HR SHIFTS, STANDARD. TIRED CTLRS DO BAD WORK, MYSELF INCLUDED. THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE I GOT MAX SLEEP POSSIBLE BTWN SHIFTS AND STILL COULDN'T STAY ALERT. INCREASING TFC AND LOWER STAFFING AND OLD TECHNOLOGY AND CRUMMY SHIFT ROTATIONS EQUAL LOWER SAFETY!

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.

Attributes
ACN	353616
Time
Date	199611
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zse
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller non radar : 10 controller radar : 4
ASRS Report	353616
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

ARTCC radar controller complaint about staffing, equipment, procedures and facility FAA policy. Doesn't like the shift work and says too many duties.