Narrative:

I reported to work and relieved the current shift controller from the departure east position. We had several controllers that had called in for sick leave that day. We had 1 more controller report for their shift. This now meant we had 3 controllers staffing the radar room for 3 hours when our next controller was scheduled to arrive. The tower was similarly short staffed as well. The supervisor in charge attempted to reach the next controller to have him report early (for overtime?). This did not happen. During the course of the morning; the supervisor did manage to contact a later shift controller and had him report early. We opened 3 position in the radar room (departure east; departure west and arrival) and only had a staff of 3 to operate them for 3 hours when the next 2 controllers reported in. This lack of staffing necessitated the opening and closing of position to facilitate bathroom breaks during those hours. There appeared to be no other attempt to call in off duty controllers for an 8 hour overtime shift to help relieve the staffing problem in both the tower and the radar room for the day. Luckily the WX was VFR and the satellite traffic could be handled fairly well by both departures that were combined up with the satellite position. The lack of staffing in the event the traffic level increased; WX deteriorated; or if there had been an emergency; could have presented some unsafe situations. Just the fact that the previous controller was required to work almost 4 straight hours at the end of his shift was dangerous as well. An attempt to call in overtime for the day shift should have been undertaken by the day shift supervisor; or operations manager as soon as they reported to work and saw the dire staffing situation for the day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MCI CTLR DESCRIBED THE LACK OF STAFFING AND RELATED PROBS.

Narrative: I RPTED TO WORK AND RELIEVED THE CURRENT SHIFT CTLR FROM THE DEP E POS. WE HAD SEVERAL CTLRS THAT HAD CALLED IN FOR SICK LEAVE THAT DAY. WE HAD 1 MORE CTLR RPT FOR THEIR SHIFT. THIS NOW MEANT WE HAD 3 CTLRS STAFFING THE RADAR ROOM FOR 3 HRS WHEN OUR NEXT CTLR WAS SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE. THE TWR WAS SIMILARLY SHORT STAFFED AS WELL. THE SUPVR IN CHARGE ATTEMPTED TO REACH THE NEXT CTLR TO HAVE HIM RPT EARLY (FOR OVERTIME?). THIS DID NOT HAPPEN. DURING THE COURSE OF THE MORNING; THE SUPVR DID MANAGE TO CONTACT A LATER SHIFT CTLR AND HAD HIM RPT EARLY. WE OPENED 3 POS IN THE RADAR ROOM (DEP E; DEP W AND ARR) AND ONLY HAD A STAFF OF 3 TO OPERATE THEM FOR 3 HRS WHEN THE NEXT 2 CTLRS RPTED IN. THIS LACK OF STAFFING NECESSITATED THE OPENING AND CLOSING OF POS TO FACILITATE BATHROOM BREAKS DURING THOSE HRS. THERE APPEARED TO BE NO OTHER ATTEMPT TO CALL IN OFF DUTY CTLRS FOR AN 8 HR OVERTIME SHIFT TO HELP RELIEVE THE STAFFING PROB IN BOTH THE TWR AND THE RADAR ROOM FOR THE DAY. LUCKILY THE WX WAS VFR AND THE SATELLITE TFC COULD BE HANDLED FAIRLY WELL BY BOTH DEPS THAT WERE COMBINED UP WITH THE SATELLITE POS. THE LACK OF STAFFING IN THE EVENT THE TFC LEVEL INCREASED; WX DETERIORATED; OR IF THERE HAD BEEN AN EMER; COULD HAVE PRESENTED SOME UNSAFE SITUATIONS. JUST THE FACT THAT THE PREVIOUS CTLR WAS REQUIRED TO WORK ALMOST 4 STRAIGHT HRS AT THE END OF HIS SHIFT WAS DANGEROUS AS WELL. AN ATTEMPT TO CALL IN OVERTIME FOR THE DAY SHIFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKEN BY THE DAY SHIFT SUPVR; OR OPS MGR AS SOON AS THEY RPTED TO WORK AND SAW THE DIRE STAFFING SITUATION FOR THE DAY.

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.