FLOW PROCS NOT USED DURING HVY TFC BUILDUP AND FLOW AROUND WX. RPTR ALLEGES THE SUPVR ADVISED RPTR IT WOULDN'T HAVE DONE ANY GOOD.

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ON JUL/SUN/96 I WAS WORKING R31 WITH X; THE D-SIDE. BTWN THE HRS OF XX00Z AND XC00Z SECTORS 31 AND 30 WERE DECLARED RED SECTORS BY FLOW CTL DUE TO HVY WX IMPACTING THE EASTERN HALF OF ZME. NEITHER R31 NOR R30 HAD A HDOF CTLR ASSIGNED; WHICH DEFINITELY COULD HAVE HELPED. THERE WAS AN OPENING IN THE WX IN MY SECTOR; AND ALL THE ACFT GOING W TO E WERE COMING THROUGH THE OPENING. THIS WX SIT WAS APPARENT LONG BEFORE THE HVY TFC ARRIVED. THE RUSH PERIOD ALSO OCCURS DURING THE SAME TIME PERIOD EVERY DAY; SO IT WAS EXPECTED. NO FLOW CTL PROCS WERE USED BEFORE OR DURING THIS SIT. NOT EVEN INTRAIL SPACING WAS REQUESTED FROM OTHER CTRS TO ELIMINATE SO MANY ACFT COMING THROUGH THIS OPENING AT THE SAME TIME. THE SECTOR WAS RED LEVEL FOR OVER 1 1/2 HRS AND THE SIT WAS DANGEROUS. I HAD LIMITED DATA BLOCKS IN MY SECTOR WITH NO HDOFS ON THE ACFT. IT WAS VERY HARD TO MAINTAIN CONCENTRATION FOR THAT LONG A PERIOD OF TIME OF HVY TFC. I ASKED WHY FLOW CTL PROCS WEREN'T USED AND WAS ADVISED IT WOULDN'T HAVE DONE ANY GOOD. I ASKED MY SUPVR WHAT HE BASED THAT STATEMENT ON; AND HE STATED BECAUSE HE JUST KNEW. THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE AT ZME. OTHER CTRS USE FLOW CTL PROCS EFFECTIVELY AND ZME RARELY USES IT. I'M INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHY IT WOULDN'T BE AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR ZME ALSO. THE STAFFING LEVEL HAS DROPPED TO AN UNSAFE POINT. WE CONTINUE TO STAFF FOR PERFECT CONDITIONS; BUT WHEN WX IMPACTS OUR AREA WE START WEIGHING DOLLARS AND SAFETY. WHAT'S NEXT?