Dispatcher complaint on being short staffed while working 'solo' at lga.

Attributes
ACN	395830
Time
Date	199803
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other personnel other
Qualification	other pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
ASRS Report	395830
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	observation : company check pilot other personnel other oversight : supervisor
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I am a dispatcher for a part 121 air carrier that is based at lga airport. I arrived at AA00 for my shift. At AB05, the chief pilot called from bos and advised me that due to lack of personnel, the shift manager will be late in order for him to cover a mid-shift. There are 2 shifts, one am and one pm. 2 people are scheduled on a shift. One is a dispatcher and the other is a shift manager who is also a qualified dispatcher. Working alone is not safe. If I had become ill, there would have been no one qualified to take my place. Meanwhile, there were hundreds of people on jets that I had joint responsibility with the captain to flight follow. After the chief pilot arrived at AC30 from bos, he offered to give me a break. He cannot legally do this because he does not have a dispatch license. Furthermore, if I had overslept, was sick, or had a car accident on the way to work, there would have been no one at the airline to dispatch the morning flts. This would have caused major cancellations. There have been solo shifts several times in the past. This is the first time I am reporting it. The company has still not established a back- up system for this situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER COMPLAINT ON BEING SHORT STAFFED WHILE WORKING 'SOLO' AT LGA.

Narrative: I AM A DISPATCHER FOR A PART 121 ACR THAT IS BASED AT LGA ARPT. I ARRIVED AT AA00 FOR MY SHIFT. AT AB05, THE CHIEF PLT CALLED FROM BOS AND ADVISED ME THAT DUE TO LACK OF PERSONNEL, THE SHIFT MGR WILL BE LATE IN ORDER FOR HIM TO COVER A MID-SHIFT. THERE ARE 2 SHIFTS, ONE AM AND ONE PM. 2 PEOPLE ARE SCHEDULED ON A SHIFT. ONE IS A DISPATCHER AND THE OTHER IS A SHIFT MGR WHO IS ALSO A QUALIFIED DISPATCHER. WORKING ALONE IS NOT SAFE. IF I HAD BECOME ILL, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO ONE QUALIFIED TO TAKE MY PLACE. MEANWHILE, THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ON JETS THAT I HAD JOINT RESPONSIBILITY WITH THE CAPT TO FLT FOLLOW. AFTER THE CHIEF PLT ARRIVED AT AC30 FROM BOS, HE OFFERED TO GIVE ME A BREAK. HE CANNOT LEGALLY DO THIS BECAUSE HE DOES NOT HAVE A DISPATCH LICENSE. FURTHERMORE, IF I HAD OVERSLEPT, WAS SICK, OR HAD A CAR ACCIDENT ON THE WAY TO WORK, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO ONE AT THE AIRLINE TO DISPATCH THE MORNING FLTS. THIS WOULD HAVE CAUSED MAJOR CANCELLATIONS. THERE HAVE BEEN SOLO SHIFTS SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I AM RPTING IT. THE COMPANY HAS STILL NOT ESTABLISHED A BACK- UP SYS FOR THIS SIT.

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.