Narrative:

I was working local 1/2/3 combined when the TRACON departure controller called to inform me that there was an 'unruly passenger' on an inbound flight. The flight crew was requesting 'police assistance at the gate.' the controller in charge was combined with clearance delivery; and this controller was busy issuing clrncs; ground control 1 and 2 were combined; and this controller was busy coordinating runway checks; light checks and the usual late night arrival and departure taxi traffic. There was no supervisor in the tower cabin attendant; and no other controllers available to assist with this matter. The airport police and airport operations 'direct dial' buttons were not available at my position. I had to physically unplug from my position of responsibility and plug into the cabin attendant coordinator (cc) position in order to access these buttons to call for police intervention at the arrival gate. To date; nothing has been done to correct this unsatisfactory position. Recently the TRACON had to evacuate/evacuation due to a possible fire. When the TRACON controllers arrived in the tower cabin attendant to perform radar duties; they discovered that the etvs consoles did not allow access to various frequencys; land-lines and direct dial lines that were necessary for running the TRACON from the tower cabin attendant. Mem FAA management has placed us in a position where we must abandon our position or responsibility in order to access a simple phone line to call the airport police or airport operations to ask for help. Our contingency plan of running the TRACON from the tower cabin attendant is flawed because it does not allow for the use and access of frequencys and land lines needed to perform essential ATC business with our customers and adjacent facility sectors.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEM TWR CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING THE NON-AVAILABILITY OF CERTAIN LAND LINES AND OR FREQS AT VARIOUS TWR OPERATIONAL POS.

Narrative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

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.