ZFW controller chronicles short staff mid shift alleging critical WX information was not disseminate...

Narrative:

On the midnight shift the ZFW ARTCC glen rose area experienced inadequate staffing/lack of support during a severe WX event affecting the dfw area. As the late night shift began; no additional support or staffing was available; forcing the basic crew compliment of 3 to work excessive volume and complexity of traffic. The volume of traffic warranted a radar associate and radar handoff (rho) on 2 sectors; and at least an radar associate on the third sector. This means that 3 people did the work of 8 for over 2 1/2 hours without relief and with a great amount of personal discomfort. No one was available to disseminate sigmets/airmets to affected sectors so that vital hazardous WX information did not get issued. This lack of staffing produced a potentially hazardous situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZFW CTLR CHRONICLES SHORT STAFF MID SHIFT ALLEGING CRITICAL WX INFO WAS NOT DISSEMINATED AND A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SITUATION WAS CREATED.

Narrative: ON THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT THE ZFW ARTCC GLEN ROSE AREA EXPERIENCED INADEQUATE STAFFING/LACK OF SUPPORT DURING A SEVERE WX EVENT AFFECTING THE DFW AREA. AS THE LATE NIGHT SHIFT BEGAN; NO ADDITIONAL SUPPORT OR STAFFING WAS AVAILABLE; FORCING THE BASIC CREW COMPLIMENT OF 3 TO WORK EXCESSIVE VOLUME AND COMPLEXITY OF TFC. THE VOLUME OF TFC WARRANTED A RADAR ASSOCIATE AND RADAR HDOF (RHO) ON 2 SECTORS; AND AT LEAST AN RADAR ASSOCIATE ON THE THIRD SECTOR. THIS MEANS THAT 3 PEOPLE DID THE WORK OF 8 FOR OVER 2 1/2 HRS WITHOUT RELIEF AND WITH A GREAT AMOUNT OF PERSONAL DISCOMFORT. NO ONE WAS AVAILABLE TO DISSEMINATE SIGMETS/AIRMETS TO AFFECTED SECTORS SO THAT VITAL HAZARDOUS WX INFO DID NOT GET ISSUED. THIS LACK OF STAFFING PRODUCED A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS 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.

Attributes
ACN	736423
Time
Date	200704
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zfw.artcc
State Reference	TX
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 4 controller radar : 21 controller time certified in position1 : 20
ASRS Report	736423
Events
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA
Primary Problem	FAA
Situations
ATC Facility	staffing : zfw.artcc

ZFW controller chronicles short staff mid shift alleging critical WX information was not disseminated and a potentially hazardous situation was created.