Narrative:

I was assigned to the tower cabin attendant at mci ATCT with 2 cpc's and 1 developmental who had just checked out in the tower. Only 3 position could be opened. I had to work flight data/clearance delivery; cabin attendant coordinator; and the tower supervisor position all combined. The WX was hard IFR with the visibility varying from about 1/8 - 1 1/2 mi. We were advertising ILS approachs to the north parallel runways. The RVR for both runways was dropping rapidly. We were trying to get the airport auths out to the runways to get ready for CAT III approachs. All at once; we lost the locs for both runways. I had to call the TRACON supervisor and have him call in the radar technicians. The winds were starting to shift around and come out of the south. We decided to do a runway change to depart and arrive to the south parallels. However; the radar technicians told us we could only change our localizer for the west parallel runway. We had to then start up the generator for that runway because that is our only CAT III runway available when we are landing to the south. The generator light would not come on so we could not verify whether the generator was on or off. While all this is happening; I was coordinating with the city; the radar technicians; the supervisor in charge of the TRACON downstairs; sending out rapidly changing WX reports to pilots; giving clrncs to aircraft; calling tmu for releases on aircraft to certain destinations; trying to monitor the operations in the tower to ensure the safety of air traffic; and fielding telephone calls from airline dispatchers who were wanting to know field condition reports. We did not have enough staffing to have a supervisor come up and take over the tower in charge function so that I could take care of my air traffic functions. The distraction of airline dispatchers calling the tower for field condition reports is unacceptable; especially when the WX is bad. We do not have the time or the staffing to handle these calls. My understanding is that they are to call the city aviation department or the contract WX observer for these reports which would alleviate the distrs. The facility needs to have a supervisor in charge of the tower cabin attendant at all times so that he can field all the calls and coordination with the different entities. This would allow the controllers to focus on their primary functions which is the safe; orderly; and expeditious [handling] of air traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MCI CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING FAC STAFFING POLICY AND COMBINED POSITION OPS; ESPECIALLY DURING MINIMAL WX CONDITIONS.

Narrative: I WAS ASSIGNED TO THE TWR CAB AT MCI ATCT WITH 2 CPC'S AND 1 DEVELOPMENTAL WHO HAD JUST CHKED OUT IN THE TWR. ONLY 3 POS COULD BE OPENED. I HAD TO WORK FLT DATA/CLRNC DELIVERY; CAB COORDINATOR; AND THE TWR SUPVR POS ALL COMBINED. THE WX WAS HARD IFR WITH THE VISIBILITY VARYING FROM ABOUT 1/8 - 1 1/2 MI. WE WERE ADVERTISING ILS APCHS TO THE N PARALLEL RWYS. THE RVR FOR BOTH RWYS WAS DROPPING RAPIDLY. WE WERE TRYING TO GET THE ARPT AUTHS OUT TO THE RWYS TO GET READY FOR CAT III APCHS. ALL AT ONCE; WE LOST THE LOCS FOR BOTH RWYS. I HAD TO CALL THE TRACON SUPVR AND HAVE HIM CALL IN THE RADAR TECHNICIANS. THE WINDS WERE STARTING TO SHIFT AROUND AND COME OUT OF THE S. WE DECIDED TO DO A RWY CHANGE TO DEPART AND ARRIVE TO THE S PARALLELS. HOWEVER; THE RADAR TECHNICIANS TOLD US WE COULD ONLY CHANGE OUR LOC FOR THE W PARALLEL RWY. WE HAD TO THEN START UP THE GENERATOR FOR THAT RWY BECAUSE THAT IS OUR ONLY CAT III RWY AVAILABLE WHEN WE ARE LNDG TO THE S. THE GENERATOR LIGHT WOULD NOT COME ON SO WE COULD NOT VERIFY WHETHER THE GENERATOR WAS ON OR OFF. WHILE ALL THIS IS HAPPENING; I WAS COORDINATING WITH THE CITY; THE RADAR TECHNICIANS; THE SUPVR IN CHARGE OF THE TRACON DOWNSTAIRS; SENDING OUT RAPIDLY CHANGING WX RPTS TO PLTS; GIVING CLRNCS TO ACFT; CALLING TMU FOR RELEASES ON ACFT TO CERTAIN DESTS; TRYING TO MONITOR THE OPS IN THE TWR TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF AIR TFC; AND FIELDING TELEPHONE CALLS FROM AIRLINE DISPATCHERS WHO WERE WANTING TO KNOW FIELD CONDITION RPTS. WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH STAFFING TO HAVE A SUPVR COME UP AND TAKE OVER THE TWR IN CHARGE FUNCTION SO THAT I COULD TAKE CARE OF MY AIR TFC FUNCTIONS. THE DISTR OF AIRLINE DISPATCHERS CALLING THE TWR FOR FIELD CONDITION RPTS IS UNACCEPTABLE; ESPECIALLY WHEN THE WX IS BAD. WE DO NOT HAVE THE TIME OR THE STAFFING TO HANDLE THESE CALLS. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY ARE TO CALL THE CITY AVIATION DEPT OR THE CONTRACT WX OBSERVER FOR THESE RPTS WHICH WOULD ALLEVIATE THE DISTRS. THE FACILITY NEEDS TO HAVE A SUPVR IN CHARGE OF THE TWR CAB AT ALL TIMES SO THAT HE CAN FIELD ALL THE CALLS AND COORD WITH THE DIFFERENT ENTITIES. THIS WOULD ALLOW THE CTLRS TO FOCUS ON THEIR PRIMARY FUNCTIONS WHICH IS THE SAFE; ORDERLY; AND EXPEDITIOUS [HANDLING] OF AIR TFC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.