Narrative:

This concerns the notification of a tfr to ATC personnel. A number of times on the mid-shift we are informed of a tfr for a laser operation near sjc. We have the paperwork at the sector and keep planes away. The day before this incident I found out about the tfr when norcal told me to turn a plane away from the area after I took a handoff from them. I knew nothing about this and apparently the norcal controller forgot about it because it just went active at XA00 local. After asking around I found out norcal did have the traffic paperwork/information; but ZOA did not. We had no paperwork at the sector like we usually do and the mid-shift supervisor had no information. Took action and blocked the tfr for the rest of the night. Also was told it was only for that night. I also had the pleasure to work the following mid-shift. No paperwork or information during the position relief briefing of a tfr for laser operations near sjc. After the mid-shift found out the laser operation is all weekend long during the mid-shifts. Cannot remember if any planes went through the area or not. After closer examination the information was on the esis board; which is a large electronic status information screen in the area. It was the third line of information after the mpi rotating beacon OTS and czq OTS. Just below the laser information was the emphasis items for the month. Readback hearback and phraseology. Normally we get all sorts of paperwork for this type of tfr. It is part of the position relief briefing; if it is known. This is the first time that kind of information was in the miscellaneous area of the status board. I think everyone else missed the information in the area because it was in a non-standard area of the status board and not disseminated in the usual method by an information sheet to the sector. In the morning I personally told the mid-shift person for the next night about the tfr. Some coordination between ZOA and norcal would also help to prevent incidents like this one.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZOA CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING THE LACK OF SJC AREA LASER TFR INFO AT THE SECTOR.

Narrative: THIS CONCERNS THE NOTIFICATION OF A TFR TO ATC PERSONNEL. A NUMBER OF TIMES ON THE MID-SHIFT WE ARE INFORMED OF A TFR FOR A LASER OP NEAR SJC. WE HAVE THE PAPERWORK AT THE SECTOR AND KEEP PLANES AWAY. THE DAY BEFORE THIS INCIDENT I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE TFR WHEN NORCAL TOLD ME TO TURN A PLANE AWAY FROM THE AREA AFTER I TOOK A HDOF FROM THEM. I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THIS AND APPARENTLY THE NORCAL CTLR FORGOT ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT JUST WENT ACTIVE AT XA00 LCL. AFTER ASKING AROUND I FOUND OUT NORCAL DID HAVE THE TFC PAPERWORK/INFO; BUT ZOA DID NOT. WE HAD NO PAPERWORK AT THE SECTOR LIKE WE USUALLY DO AND THE MID-SHIFT SUPVR HAD NO INFO. TOOK ACTION AND BLOCKED THE TFR FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT. ALSO WAS TOLD IT WAS ONLY FOR THAT NIGHT. I ALSO HAD THE PLEASURE TO WORK THE FOLLOWING MID-SHIFT. NO PAPERWORK OR INFO DURING THE POS RELIEF BRIEFING OF A TFR FOR LASER OPS NEAR SJC. AFTER THE MID-SHIFT FOUND OUT THE LASER OP IS ALL WEEKEND LONG DURING THE MID-SHIFTS. CANNOT REMEMBER IF ANY PLANES WENT THROUGH THE AREA OR NOT. AFTER CLOSER EXAM THE INFO WAS ON THE ESIS BOARD; WHICH IS A LARGE ELECTRONIC STATUS INFO SCREEN IN THE AREA. IT WAS THE THIRD LINE OF INFO AFTER THE MPI ROTATING BEACON OTS AND CZQ OTS. JUST BELOW THE LASER INFO WAS THE EMPHASIS ITEMS FOR THE MONTH. READBACK HEARBACK AND PHRASEOLOGY. NORMALLY WE GET ALL SORTS OF PAPERWORK FOR THIS TYPE OF TFR. IT IS PART OF THE POS RELIEF BRIEFING; IF IT IS KNOWN. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT KIND OF INFO WAS IN THE MISC AREA OF THE STATUS BOARD. I THINK EVERYONE ELSE MISSED THE INFO IN THE AREA BECAUSE IT WAS IN A NON-STANDARD AREA OF THE STATUS BOARD AND NOT DISSEMINATED IN THE USUAL METHOD BY AN INFO SHEET TO THE SECTOR. IN THE MORNING I PERSONALLY TOLD THE MID-SHIFT PERSON FOR THE NEXT NIGHT ABOUT THE TFR. SOME COORD BTWN ZOA AND NORCAL WOULD ALSO HELP TO PREVENT INCIDENTS LIKE THIS ONE.

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.