Narrative:

I attended the weekly team briefing today with my fellow controllers; operations manager; training manager and front line manager. All controllers were told that we only had 15 mins in which to conduct the briefing due to the fact that several controllers had taken sick leave. During this 15 min briefing; we were informed about 1) national changes to FAA handbook 7110.65; 2) national changes to taxi into position and hold procedures; 3) new local procedures at mem tower regarding taxi into position and hold; 4) national changes to 'obstruction clearance' requirements for the ILS critical area; and 5) national implementation of something that sounded like 'precision approach obstacle free zone.' we were afforded no time for discussion; debate; nor any opportunity to ask questions about any of these subjects. Several of the above items went into effect today; while others are going into effect in february 2007. I asked our training manager and my supervisor for permission to look at the new 'taxi into position and hold' procedures later this evening; but was told that the document would not be available for me to inspect or review. We were not provided with copies of any of these new documents. The maps associated with the new obstacle clearance and precision approach obstacle free zone were not available in the tower cabin attendant; and these maps are not currently available on our ids-4. At the end of this briefing; we were all 'signed off' on each briefing item by the front line manager and the training manager. The initials of the front line manager and/or the training manager indicate that we had received a complete briefing on each item; and we will be held accountable for knowing and applying these new rules and procedures at work. This is a routine team briefing at mem. Local FAA management presents us with information that must be signed off on the exact day that they are presenting the information to the work force. There is always a rush to complete the administrative portion of the paperwork; but never any concern for actually discussing the new information or ensuring that we understand the new information. There is rarely any advance notice of local changes to airspace; LOA's; procedures or directives. We normally learn of these changes on the day before the changes go into effect.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEM CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING FAC MGMNT'S TEAM BRIEFING POLICY.

Narrative: I ATTENDED THE WKLY TEAM BRIEFING TODAY WITH MY FELLOW CTLRS; OPS MGR; TRAINING MGR AND FRONT LINE MGR. ALL CTLRS WERE TOLD THAT WE ONLY HAD 15 MINS IN WHICH TO CONDUCT THE BRIEFING DUE TO THE FACT THAT SEVERAL CTLRS HAD TAKEN SICK LEAVE. DURING THIS 15 MIN BRIEFING; WE WERE INFORMED ABOUT 1) NATL CHANGES TO FAA HANDBOOK 7110.65; 2) NATL CHANGES TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD PROCS; 3) NEW LCL PROCS AT MEM TWR REGARDING TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD; 4) NATL CHANGES TO 'OBSTRUCTION CLRNC' REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ILS CRITICAL AREA; AND 5) NATL IMPLEMENTATION OF SOMETHING THAT SOUNDED LIKE 'PRECISION APCH OBSTACLE FREE ZONE.' WE WERE AFFORDED NO TIME FOR DISCUSSION; DEBATE; NOR ANY OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THESE SUBJECTS. SEVERAL OF THE ABOVE ITEMS WENT INTO EFFECT TODAY; WHILE OTHERS ARE GOING INTO EFFECT IN FEBRUARY 2007. I ASKED OUR TRAINING MGR AND MY SUPVR FOR PERMISSION TO LOOK AT THE NEW 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD' PROCS LATER THIS EVENING; BUT WAS TOLD THAT THE DOCUMENT WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR ME TO INSPECT OR REVIEW. WE WERE NOT PROVIDED WITH COPIES OF ANY OF THESE NEW DOCUMENTS. THE MAPS ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEW OBSTACLE CLRNC AND PRECISION APCH OBSTACLE FREE ZONE WERE NOT AVAILABLE IN THE TWR CAB; AND THESE MAPS ARE NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON OUR IDS-4. AT THE END OF THIS BRIEFING; WE WERE ALL 'SIGNED OFF' ON EACH BRIEFING ITEM BY THE FRONT LINE MGR AND THE TRAINING MGR. THE INITIALS OF THE FRONT LINE MGR AND/OR THE TRAINING MGR INDICATE THAT WE HAD RECEIVED A COMPLETE BRIEFING ON EACH ITEM; AND WE WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR KNOWING AND APPLYING THESE NEW RULES AND PROCS AT WORK. THIS IS A ROUTINE TEAM BRIEFING AT MEM. LCL FAA MGMNT PRESENTS US WITH INFO THAT MUST BE SIGNED OFF ON THE EXACT DAY THAT THEY ARE PRESENTING THE INFO TO THE WORK FORCE. THERE IS ALWAYS A RUSH TO COMPLETE THE ADMINISTRATIVE PORTION OF THE PAPERWORK; BUT NEVER ANY CONCERN FOR ACTUALLY DISCUSSING THE NEW INFO OR ENSURING THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE NEW INFO. THERE IS RARELY ANY ADVANCE NOTICE OF LCL CHANGES TO AIRSPACE; LOA'S; PROCS OR DIRECTIVES. WE NORMALLY LEARN OF THESE CHANGES ON THE DAY BEFORE THE CHANGES GO INTO EFFECT.

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.