Controller claims unable to receive assistance at position when needed.

Attributes
ACN	399880
Time
Date	199804
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 10
ASRS Report	339880
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other 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

Narrative:

Due to short staffing we are not getting help when we need it. During busy periods when many sectors need help there is no one available. On mar/xa/98 I asked for help on mlc low sector and didn't receive any help for about 5 mins because no one was available. By the time I finally got help it was too late. Another time when I asked for help on mlc high and no one was available, a controller from another specialty that was not current on this sector had to help me work the rush. This is a very unsafe practice in my opinion. This situation increases stress level. Not knowing if I will get help when working a sector alone and it becomes busy has really bothered me and affected my sleep by causing nightmares of being overloaded with traffic and no one to help out.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR CLAIMS UNABLE TO RECEIVE ASSISTANCE AT POS WHEN NEEDED.

Narrative: DUE TO SHORT STAFFING WE ARE NOT GETTING HELP WHEN WE NEED IT. DURING BUSY PERIODS WHEN MANY SECTORS NEED HELP THERE IS NO ONE AVAILABLE. ON MAR/XA/98 I ASKED FOR HELP ON MLC LOW SECTOR AND DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY HELP FOR ABOUT 5 MINS BECAUSE NO ONE WAS AVAILABLE. BY THE TIME I FINALLY GOT HELP IT WAS TOO LATE. ANOTHER TIME WHEN I ASKED FOR HELP ON MLC HIGH AND NO ONE WAS AVAILABLE, A CTLR FROM ANOTHER SPECIALTY THAT WAS NOT CURRENT ON THIS SECTOR HAD TO HELP ME WORK THE RUSH. THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE PRACTICE IN MY OPINION. THIS SIT INCREASES STRESS LEVEL. NOT KNOWING IF I WILL GET HELP WHEN WORKING A SECTOR ALONE AND IT BECOMES BUSY HAS REALLY BOTHERED ME AND AFFECTED MY SLEEP BY CAUSING NIGHTMARES OF BEING OVERLOADED WITH TFC AND NO ONE TO HELP 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.