Narrative:

I believe today was a good example of how we are setting up for an incident and/or accident. I also believe lack of staffing is a root a cause; with several other areas which together can easily contribute to a possible incident/accident. Today I relived a dispatcher who had bounced around from 3-4 desks already today. He ended up covering these desks due to 1 dispatcher and a coordinator having called in sick as well as another dispatcher going home sick in the middle of shift. 5 dispatchers were already working overtime on the previous shift alone; so there may not have been anyone left to call in. 2 dispatchers were working overtime on the next shift. This lack of coverage has been happening quite often since several dispatchers were cut from the staff. The empty desk's flts are then split amongst the rest of the dispatch desks. By the time I relieved the dispatcher; he had only been on for approximately 3.5 hours; all of which was reroutes and WX briefs. A few of his flts were not finished but I thought I could catch up. I also found out this dispatcher actually was 30 minutes over his ten hours and probably was beat. He had the flts to cities that were all affected by the WX today. Numerous reroutes were required along with numerous WX briefs. At one point; dfw was holding for up to 40 minutes. When I had my first diversion; I solicited help from another dispatcher but with the nature of the workload on this desk; I got behind quickly. I then asked the 5 other dfw dispatchers for help to take 3 flts from me. I asked dfw dispatchers because they should be in tune with the WX and cities. Only one dispatcher volunteered to take one flight. I maintained operational control; but it was extremely difficult. Many flts were late due to late release. This is a situation I don't think a dispatcher should be in; let alone have to find other dispatchers to help with their overflow/workload...we usually can't find the time!!!! And shouldn't the workload be addressed by management before it becomes a problem? Other factors that contribute to compromising operational control are the computers. We still are having to work two keyboards and two mice. Don't get me wrong; I truly appreciate the updated pc's. But in reality it becomes difficult to maintain two keyboards and mice when it gets very busy. The tendency is work faster because the slower you go to catch everything; the further and further you fall behind. The further you fall behind; the more workload increases. I really believe we are understaffed and it is not being brought to anyone's attention who cares (like the FAA). The usual answer I get from company on complaints like this one is that; 'it was an unusual day with unusual number of sick calls and 2 on leave.' well; these unusual days keep adding up and desks keep being split and workloads keep increasing. In fact; with the new person assigning flts to desks; the workload is increasing because he is splitting up city pairs in order to keep the number of releases even on each desk. I'll be letting him know about the situation tonight after I finish this report.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated only that the company has not been responsive to reports regarding this situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER FOR A MAJOR ACR RPTS THAT UNDERSTAFFING AND COMPUTER SYSTEM SOFTWARE ARE HAVING A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE ABILITY TO MAINTAIN OPERATIONAL OVERSIGHT OF THEIR FLTS.

Narrative: I BELIEVE TODAY WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW WE ARE SETTING UP FOR AN INCIDENT AND/OR ACCIDENT. I ALSO BELIEVE LACK OF STAFFING IS A ROOT A CAUSE; WITH SEVERAL OTHER AREAS WHICH TOGETHER CAN EASILY CONTRIBUTE TO A POSSIBLE INCIDENT/ACCIDENT. TODAY I RELIVED A DISPATCHER WHO HAD BOUNCED AROUND FROM 3-4 DESKS ALREADY TODAY. HE ENDED UP COVERING THESE DESKS DUE TO 1 DISPATCHER AND A COORDINATOR HAVING CALLED IN SICK AS WELL AS ANOTHER DISPATCHER GOING HOME SICK IN THE MIDDLE OF SHIFT. 5 DISPATCHERS WERE ALREADY WORKING OVERTIME ON THE PREVIOUS SHIFT ALONE; SO THERE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ANYONE LEFT TO CALL IN. 2 DISPATCHERS WERE WORKING OVERTIME ON THE NEXT SHIFT. THIS LACK OF COVERAGE HAS BEEN HAPPENING QUITE OFTEN SINCE SEVERAL DISPATCHERS WERE CUT FROM THE STAFF. THE EMPTY DESK'S FLTS ARE THEN SPLIT AMONGST THE REST OF THE DISPATCH DESKS. BY THE TIME I RELIEVED THE DISPATCHER; HE HAD ONLY BEEN ON FOR APPROX 3.5 HOURS; ALL OF WHICH WAS REROUTES AND WX BRIEFS. A FEW OF HIS FLTS WERE NOT FINISHED BUT I THOUGHT I COULD CATCH UP. I ALSO FOUND OUT THIS DISPATCHER ACTUALLY WAS 30 MINUTES OVER HIS TEN HOURS AND PROBABLY WAS BEAT. HE HAD THE FLTS TO CITIES THAT WERE ALL AFFECTED BY THE WX TODAY. NUMEROUS REROUTES WERE REQUIRED ALONG WITH NUMEROUS WX BRIEFS. AT ONE POINT; DFW WAS HOLDING FOR UP TO 40 MINUTES. WHEN I HAD MY FIRST DIVERSION; I SOLICITED HELP FROM ANOTHER DISPATCHER BUT WITH THE NATURE OF THE WORKLOAD ON THIS DESK; I GOT BEHIND QUICKLY. I THEN ASKED THE 5 OTHER DFW DISPATCHERS FOR HELP TO TAKE 3 FLTS FROM ME. I ASKED DFW DISPATCHERS BECAUSE THEY SHOULD BE IN TUNE WITH THE WX AND CITIES. ONLY ONE DISPATCHER VOLUNTEERED TO TAKE ONE FLT. I MAINTAINED OPERATIONAL CTL; BUT IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. MANY FLTS WERE LATE DUE TO LATE RELEASE. THIS IS A SITUATION I DON'T THINK A DISPATCHER SHOULD BE IN; LET ALONE HAVE TO FIND OTHER DISPATCHERS TO HELP WITH THEIR OVERFLOW/WORKLOAD...WE USUALLY CAN'T FIND THE TIME!!!! AND SHOULDN'T THE WORKLOAD BE ADDRESSED BY MANAGEMENT BEFORE IT BECOMES A PROB? OTHER FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO COMPROMISING OPERATIONAL CTL ARE THE COMPUTERS. WE STILL ARE HAVING TO WORK TWO KEYBOARDS AND TWO MICE. DON'T GET ME WRONG; I TRULY APPRECIATE THE UPDATED PC'S. BUT IN REALITY IT BECOMES DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN TWO KEYBOARDS AND MICE WHEN IT GETS VERY BUSY. THE TENDENCY IS WORK FASTER BECAUSE THE SLOWER YOU GO TO CATCH EVERYTHING; THE FURTHER AND FURTHER YOU FALL BEHIND. THE FURTHER YOU FALL BEHIND; THE MORE WORKLOAD INCREASES. I REALLY BELIEVE WE ARE UNDERSTAFFED AND IT IS NOT BEING BROUGHT TO ANYONE'S ATTENTION WHO CARES (LIKE THE FAA). THE USUAL ANSWER I GET FROM COMPANY ON COMPLAINTS LIKE THIS ONE IS THAT; 'IT WAS AN UNUSUAL DAY WITH UNUSUAL NUMBER OF SICK CALLS AND 2 ON LEAVE.' WELL; THESE UNUSUAL DAYS KEEP ADDING UP AND DESKS KEEP BEING SPLIT AND WORKLOADS KEEP INCREASING. IN FACT; WITH THE NEW PERSON ASSIGNING FLTS TO DESKS; THE WORKLOAD IS INCREASING BECAUSE HE IS SPLITTING UP CITY PAIRS IN ORDER TO KEEP THE NUMBER OF RELEASES EVEN ON EACH DESK. I'LL BE LETTING HIM KNOW ABOUT THE SITUATION TONIGHT AFTER I FINISH THIS RPT.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED ONLY THAT THE COMPANY HAS NOT BEEN RESPONSIVE TO RPTS REGARDING THIS SITUATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.