Hsv controller expressed concern regarding facility staffing and management decision to combine TRAC...

Narrative:

I assumed responsibility of west radar position. All position in the TRACON were combined to this position due to poor staffing. After assuming west radar position I was told I was also in charge of the operation leaving myself alone in the radar room. There were 3 controllers and a supervisor in the tower. One of the controllers is a radar developmental; but checked out in the tower. The supervisor is new to the facility and was training with a controller. The other controller had to stay in the tower as controller in charge (controller in charge) because the developmental is not allowed to be controller in charge. There was one other controller on break but that controller is new to the facility and is not certified in all position. The supervisor did not want to stop his training which would have allowed a controller to come to the radar room to help staff the position. I worked all position combined up at a very busy time. WX was good and there were many military training operations occurring along with other traffic. Although there were no operrors or deviations (at least I don't think there was) this cannot be called a safe and prudent operation. With staffing the way it is it seems to be happening with more and more regularity. I fear a catastrophic event will happen if this operation continues to be run this way.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HSV CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING FACILITY STAFFING AND MGMNT DECISION TO COMBINE TRACON CTL POS TO ACCOMMODATE SUPVR TRAINING IN THE TWR.

Narrative: I ASSUMED RESPONSIBILITY OF W RADAR POS. ALL POS IN THE TRACON WERE COMBINED TO THIS POS DUE TO POOR STAFFING. AFTER ASSUMING W RADAR POS I WAS TOLD I WAS ALSO IN CHARGE OF THE OP LEAVING MYSELF ALONE IN THE RADAR ROOM. THERE WERE 3 CTLRS AND A SUPVR IN THE TWR. ONE OF THE CTLRS IS A RADAR DEVELOPMENTAL; BUT CHKED OUT IN THE TWR. THE SUPVR IS NEW TO THE FACILITY AND WAS TRAINING WITH A CTLR. THE OTHER CTLR HAD TO STAY IN THE TWR AS CTLR IN CHARGE (CIC) BECAUSE THE DEVELOPMENTAL IS NOT ALLOWED TO BE CIC. THERE WAS ONE OTHER CTLR ON BREAK BUT THAT CTLR IS NEW TO THE FACILITY AND IS NOT CERTIFIED IN ALL POS. THE SUPVR DID NOT WANT TO STOP HIS TRAINING WHICH WOULD HAVE ALLOWED A CTLR TO COME TO THE RADAR ROOM TO HELP STAFF THE POS. I WORKED ALL POS COMBINED UP AT A VERY BUSY TIME. WX WAS GOOD AND THERE WERE MANY MIL TRAINING OPS OCCURRING ALONG WITH OTHER TFC. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO OPERRORS OR DEVS (AT LEAST I DON'T THINK THERE WAS) THIS CANNOT BE CALLED A SAFE AND PRUDENT OP. WITH STAFFING THE WAY IT IS IT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING WITH MORE AND MORE REGULARITY. I FEAR A CATASTROPHIC EVENT WILL HAPPEN IF THIS OP CONTINUES TO BE RUN THIS WAY.

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.

Attributes
ACN	720520
Time
Date	200612
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hsv.tracon
State Reference	AL
Environment
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 20 controller supervisory : 2 controller time certified in position1 : 5
ASRS Report	720520
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA
Primary Problem	FAA
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : hsv.tracon staffing : hsv.tracon

Hsv controller expressed concern regarding facility staffing and management decision to combine TRACON control position to accommodate supervisor training in the tower.