Narrative:

Flight to ZZZ was a B737-800. Dispatch elected to tanker fuel. We arrived in ZZZ with fuel at 16.4; resulting in nearly full wing tanks. During the deplaning and boarding process; the aircraft developed non-environmental wing icing on both the top and bottom of both wings. I requested deicing from ZZZ operations. There was 1 ramper who was 'trained' to deice. His training consisted of watching a video more than 6 months earlier. He had never actually used the equipment hands on. Understandably; he was apprehensive about deicing the aircraft. Even checking the top of the wing proved difficult and somewhat unsafe; as ZZZ did not have an ice probe for him to use to check the middle of the wing. He had to stand on the top of a tall step ladder and stretch out on the wing to feel with his hand. Fortunately; there were 2 other rampers with deicing experience who volunteered to 'assist' our ramper with the deicing. With the assistance of the 'experienced but not our airline trained' rampers; we were able to properly deice the wings. It is hard to believe that the FAA allows our airline to train other rampers to deice our jets without any hands on training. From a safety standpoint; this is completely unacceptable. Our operations personnel in ZZZ are also concerned. As we tanker more and more fuel due to high fuel prices; deicing for non-environmental wing ice is becoming a more common occurrence all over the system; yet the stations are not prepared for it. I had the same situation arise on another flight. I spent nearly 1 hour coordinating with another air carrier's operations and our dispatch trying to figure out who was authority/authorized to deice our aircraft. If our flight operations insists on tankering fuel in the ng aircraft; then we must do a better job of ensuring all down-line stations have personnel who have hands-on training with the deice equipment; and who are available when aircraft need deicing. Unless we don't care about running on-time; in which case we can just situation around for 1 hour or 2 and wait for the ice to melt. From a customer service standpoint; these situations are; at best; embarrassing. I had to stand in front of a plane load of passenger; look them in the eye; and tell them that their flight that was already delayed over 3 hours (aircraft swap due maintenance on the inbound flight) would now be further delayed while we searched for qualified personnel to deice the airplane in 60 degree WX.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-800 REQUIRED DEICING AFTER ARRIVING AT AN ARPT WITH 60-DEG WX WITH THE WING TANKS NEARLY FULL. ICE HAD FORMED ON THE COLD SOAKED WINGS.

Narrative: FLT TO ZZZ WAS A B737-800. DISPATCH ELECTED TO TANKER FUEL. WE ARRIVED IN ZZZ WITH FUEL AT 16.4; RESULTING IN NEARLY FULL WING TANKS. DURING THE DEPLANING AND BOARDING PROCESS; THE ACFT DEVELOPED NON-ENVIRONMENTAL WING ICING ON BOTH THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF BOTH WINGS. I REQUESTED DEICING FROM ZZZ OPS. THERE WAS 1 RAMPER WHO WAS 'TRAINED' TO DEICE. HIS TRAINING CONSISTED OF WATCHING A VIDEO MORE THAN 6 MONTHS EARLIER. HE HAD NEVER ACTUALLY USED THE EQUIP HANDS ON. UNDERSTANDABLY; HE WAS APPREHENSIVE ABOUT DEICING THE ACFT. EVEN CHKING THE TOP OF THE WING PROVED DIFFICULT AND SOMEWHAT UNSAFE; AS ZZZ DID NOT HAVE AN ICE PROBE FOR HIM TO USE TO CHK THE MIDDLE OF THE WING. HE HAD TO STAND ON THE TOP OF A TALL STEP LADDER AND STRETCH OUT ON THE WING TO FEEL WITH HIS HAND. FORTUNATELY; THERE WERE 2 OTHER RAMPERS WITH DEICING EXPERIENCE WHO VOLUNTEERED TO 'ASSIST' OUR RAMPER WITH THE DEICING. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE 'EXPERIENCED BUT NOT OUR AIRLINE TRAINED' RAMPERS; WE WERE ABLE TO PROPERLY DEICE THE WINGS. IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THE FAA ALLOWS OUR AIRLINE TO TRAIN OTHER RAMPERS TO DEICE OUR JETS WITHOUT ANY HANDS ON TRAINING. FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT; THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. OUR OPS PERSONNEL IN ZZZ ARE ALSO CONCERNED. AS WE TANKER MORE AND MORE FUEL DUE TO HIGH FUEL PRICES; DEICING FOR NON-ENVIRONMENTAL WING ICE IS BECOMING A MORE COMMON OCCURRENCE ALL OVER THE SYS; YET THE STATIONS ARE NOT PREPARED FOR IT. I HAD THE SAME SITUATION ARISE ON ANOTHER FLT. I SPENT NEARLY 1 HR COORDINATING WITH ANOTHER ACR'S OPS AND OUR DISPATCH TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO WAS AUTH TO DEICE OUR ACFT. IF OUR FLT OPS INSISTS ON TANKERING FUEL IN THE NG ACFT; THEN WE MUST DO A BETTER JOB OF ENSURING ALL DOWN-LINE STATIONS HAVE PERSONNEL WHO HAVE HANDS-ON TRAINING WITH THE DEICE EQUIP; AND WHO ARE AVAILABLE WHEN ACFT NEED DEICING. UNLESS WE DON'T CARE ABOUT RUNNING ON-TIME; IN WHICH CASE WE CAN JUST SIT AROUND FOR 1 HR OR 2 AND WAIT FOR THE ICE TO MELT. FROM A CUSTOMER SVC STANDPOINT; THESE SITUATIONS ARE; AT BEST; EMBARRASSING. I HAD TO STAND IN FRONT OF A PLANE LOAD OF PAX; LOOK THEM IN THE EYE; AND TELL THEM THAT THEIR FLT THAT WAS ALREADY DELAYED OVER 3 HRS (ACFT SWAP DUE MAINT ON THE INBOUND FLT) WOULD NOW BE FURTHER DELAYED WHILE WE SEARCHED FOR QUALIFIED PERSONNEL TO DEICE THE AIRPLANE IN 60 DEG WX.

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.