Narrative:

Recently a new procedure of having emergency equipment respond to standby position on the tower controller's frequency instead of the ground controller's frequency was implemented as a test, reportedly nationwide. This test has now been asked to be extended to june 2000. This causes a very unsafe condition. The reason for the test is so emergency vehicles can talk to the aircraft if necessary. It is our job to talk to aircraft on our frequencys. Vehicles could very easily block our frequency when needed to talk to other aircraft not involved. The job description of tower controller (local controller) is to talk to aircraft on active runways. It is the job description of a ground controller to talk to aircraft and vehicles on txwys and movement areas. A situation could occur where 10 to 20 planes could be taxiing on ground frequency, while emergency vehicles are responding in between on tower frequency. This requires the tower controller to divert his attention away from the runways to attend to vehicles on ground controller's txwys. This test should never have been approved to start with, no less be extended. The vehicles should respond on ground frequency and when reaching their standby position can switch to tower. Recently 2 emergency responses found that after the emergency aircraft landed and cleared the runways, the pilot switched to ground control. Now the emergency vehicles were on the wrong frequency. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the emergency equipment test procedure was cancelled on apr/xa/00. He said they would revert to the old procedures and try to improve on them. The tower manager was in the cabin attendant on several occasions when an emergency was in progress and apparently was not pleased with the operation. A dedicated control position on a separate frequency was suggested, but funding and staffing is not available.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATCT CTLR AT TUL IS CONCERNED ABOUT AN FAA NATIONWIDE TEST TO PUT A PLT WITH AN EMER ON THE SAME FREQ WITH EMER VEHICLES.

Narrative: RECENTLY A NEW PROC OF HAVING EMER EQUIP RESPOND TO STANDBY POS ON THE TWR CTLR'S FREQ INSTEAD OF THE GND CTLR'S FREQ WAS IMPLEMENTED AS A TEST, REPORTEDLY NATIONWIDE. THIS TEST HAS NOW BEEN ASKED TO BE EXTENDED TO JUNE 2000. THIS CAUSES A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION. THE REASON FOR THE TEST IS SO EMER VEHICLES CAN TALK TO THE ACFT IF NECESSARY. IT IS OUR JOB TO TALK TO ACFT ON OUR FREQS. VEHICLES COULD VERY EASILY BLOCK OUR FREQ WHEN NEEDED TO TALK TO OTHER ACFT NOT INVOLVED. THE JOB DESCRIPTION OF TWR CTLR (LCL CTLR) IS TO TALK TO ACFT ON ACTIVE RWYS. IT IS THE JOB DESCRIPTION OF A GND CTLR TO TALK TO ACFT AND VEHICLES ON TXWYS AND MOVEMENT AREAS. A SIT COULD OCCUR WHERE 10 TO 20 PLANES COULD BE TAXIING ON GND FREQ, WHILE EMER VEHICLES ARE RESPONDING IN BETWEEN ON TWR FREQ. THIS REQUIRES THE TWR CTLR TO DIVERT HIS ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE RWYS TO ATTEND TO VEHICLES ON GND CTLR'S TXWYS. THIS TEST SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN APPROVED TO START WITH, NO LESS BE EXTENDED. THE VEHICLES SHOULD RESPOND ON GND FREQ AND WHEN REACHING THEIR STANDBY POS CAN SWITCH TO TWR. RECENTLY 2 EMER RESPONSES FOUND THAT AFTER THE EMER ACFT LANDED AND CLRED THE RWYS, THE PLT SWITCHED TO GND CTL. NOW THE EMER VEHICLES WERE ON THE WRONG FREQ. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE EMER EQUIP TEST PROC WAS CANCELLED ON APR/XA/00. HE SAID THEY WOULD REVERT TO THE OLD PROCS AND TRY TO IMPROVE ON THEM. THE TWR MANAGER WAS IN THE CAB ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN AN EMER WAS IN PROGRESS AND APPARENTLY WAS NOT PLEASED WITH THE OP. A DEDICATED CTL POS ON A SEPARATE FREQ WAS SUGGESTED, BUT FUNDING AND STAFFING IS NOT AVAILABLE.

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.