Narrative:

On june/thu the controllers at fai tower were advised by written note that the vehicles on the airport would now be using tower frequency instead of ground frequency when they need to operate on the runways. Before this change; all vehicles were on ground frequency and ground coordinated with local to use the runways when needed. It hasn't gone very well so far because: the majority of the airport vehicles are not equipped to use this frequency. The vehicle operators were not given sufficient notice of this change and they have had a very hard time getting up speed. This has caused delays for the vehicles and frequency congestion. Vehicle operator training needs to be changed to meet this change; it can't happen overnight. The vehicles are now expected to change from tower to ground frequency as they enter and exit the txwys and runways. The vehicles are now forced to stop just off the runway to switch to ground and get a clearance for the txwys. This blocks the txwys and increases the time the vehicles spend on the controled surfaces. Alternatively local can coordinate for use of the txwys by the vehicles; but this increases the workload on local. Since most of the vehicles can't use tower frequency; the runway may have several vehicles operating on it; using two different frequencys. This means that neither ground nor local can retain an accurate picture of the situation because they both only have one piece of it. This procedure should be stopped until all the vehicles can get equipped; and the airport and tower can get an arrangement to allow vehicles to operate on the txwys without a clearance. During snow removal; the workload is going to skyrocket if this isn't fixed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAI TWR INSTITUTED NEW PROC REQUIRING ALL VEHICLES TO BE ON TWR FREQ FOR RWY ACTIVITY. NOT ALL ARPT VEHICLES HAVE THE FREQ AVAILABLE.

Narrative: ON JUNE/THU THE CTLRS AT FAI TWR WERE ADVISED BY WRITTEN NOTE THAT THE VEHICLES ON THE ARPT WOULD NOW BE USING TWR FREQ INSTEAD OF GND FREQ WHEN THEY NEED TO OPERATE ON THE RWYS. BEFORE THIS CHANGE; ALL VEHICLES WERE ON GND FREQ AND GND COORDINATED WITH LOCAL TO USE THE RWYS WHEN NEEDED. IT HASN'T GONE VERY WELL SO FAR BECAUSE: THE MAJORITY OF THE ARPT VEHICLES ARE NOT EQUIPPED TO USE THIS FREQ. THE VEHICLE OPERATORS WERE NOT GIVEN SUFFICIENT NOTICE OF THIS CHANGE AND THEY HAVE HAD A VERY HARD TIME GETTING UP SPD. THIS HAS CAUSED DELAYS FOR THE VEHICLES AND FREQ CONGESTION. VEHICLE OPERATOR TRAINING NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO MEET THIS CHANGE; IT CAN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. THE VEHICLES ARE NOW EXPECTED TO CHANGE FROM TWR TO GND FREQ AS THEY ENTER AND EXIT THE TXWYS AND RWYS. THE VEHICLES ARE NOW FORCED TO STOP JUST OFF THE RWY TO SWITCH TO GND AND GET A CLRNC FOR THE TXWYS. THIS BLOCKS THE TXWYS AND INCREASES THE TIME THE VEHICLES SPEND ON THE CTLED SURFACES. ALTERNATIVELY LOCAL CAN COORDINATE FOR USE OF THE TXWYS BY THE VEHICLES; BUT THIS INCREASES THE WORKLOAD ON LOCAL. SINCE MOST OF THE VEHICLES CAN'T USE TWR FREQ; THE RWY MAY HAVE SEVERAL VEHICLES OPERATING ON IT; USING TWO DIFFERENT FREQS. THIS MEANS THAT NEITHER GND NOR LOCAL CAN RETAIN AN ACCURATE PICTURE OF THE SITUATION BECAUSE THEY BOTH ONLY HAVE ONE PIECE OF IT. THIS PROC SHOULD BE STOPPED UNTIL ALL THE VEHICLES CAN GET EQUIPPED; AND THE ARPT AND TWR CAN GET AN ARRANGEMENT TO ALLOW VEHICLES TO OPERATE ON THE TXWYS WITHOUT A CLRNC. DURING SNOW REMOVAL; THE WORKLOAD IS GOING TO SKYROCKET IF THIS ISN'T FIXED.

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.