PBI CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING UPCOMING AIRSPACE CHANGE AND THE LACK OF TRAINING THAT HAS BEEN ALLOCATED.

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THIS RPT IS BEING FILED IN ADVANCE OF THE AIRSPACE CHANGES THAT WILL BE EFFECTIVE OCT/XA/05 IN SOUTH FLORIDA. THE TRAINING FOR THE NEW PROCS HAS BEEN BOTH INADEQUATE AND VERY BRIEF HERE AT WEST PALM BEACH TWR. BY THIS I MEAN THAT THE CLASSROOM TRAINING FOR THE NEW AIRSPACE WAS A TOTAL OF 3 HRS AND THEN AN ADDITIONAL HR FOR CHANGES MADE AFTER THE INITIAL BRIEFING. THE ETG; RADAR TRAINING; FOR THE FAMILIARIZATION OF THESE PROCS WAS 8 HRS. ADDITIONALLY; THERE IS A PROB WITH STAFFING AT WEST PALM BEACH TWR. THIS NEW AIRSPACE IS REQUIRING THAT AN ADDITIONAL SCOPE BE OPEN WHICH HAS NOT BEEN USED IN THE PAST. THE CURRENT STAFFING (43) IS FOR THE 5 RADAR SECTORS PRESENTLY AT PALM BEACH. AN ADDITIONAL SECTOR WOULD REQUIRE AT LEAST 6 MORE CTLRS. THERE ARE NO NEW PERSONNEL AT PALM BEACH TO HELP ACCOMPLISH THIS TASK. UNLIKE THE EAST COAST PLAN IN THE LATE 1980'S; THIS NEW SOUTH FLORIDA AIRSPACE CHANGE IS A RATHER LARGE UNDERTAKING BEING IMPLEMENTED ALL AT ONCE. THIS SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN PUT TOGETHER RATHER HASTILY WITHOUT A GOOD DEAL OF EMPHASIS BEING PLACED ON PREPARATION. I'M NOT OPPOSED TO CHANGE; HOWEVER; I FEEL THAT THE LACK OF TRAINING MAY LEAD TO PROBS WHEN THIS IS PUT INTO EFFECT.