Date: 201503
Local time of day: 0001-0600
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: Mixed
Weather elements / visibility: 1.5
Light: Dawn
Aircraft: B737-700
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Flight phase: Parked
ATC / advisory: Ramp ZZZ
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Training / Qualification; Time Pressure; Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
Second reporter function: First Officer
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: Pre-flight
Result: General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Release Refused / Aircraft Not Accepted
Contributing factors: Company Policy; Human Factors; Weather
Primary problem: Company Policy

Narrative: We arrived at the aircraft at [prior to sunrise]. After completing the exterior preflight; my First Officer stated 'I think we need to deice. Can you come take a look?' I immediately; and without question; agreed.Layers of frost had adhered to upper wing surface; lower wing surface; leading edges and horizontal stab. We advised the Agent we would need to deice. He immediately notified operations and we were then given the current station deice procedure. The Agent informed me that operations was questioning my need to deice. To him they stated the temperatures were above freezing so they didn't understand why I requested/needed to deice. The Agent did not question me; only repeated to Operations that the aircraft needed to be deiced.Without consulting me; operations then called Dispatch and relayed my deice request; again questioning my reason for deice. I received an ACARS from Dispatch questioning my reason to deice then questioning if I knew about [a pertinent recent company bulletin].Here is the ACARS verbatim as I kept a picture. 'Local operations is TELLING US THERE IS NO ICE ON ACFT BUT WAS TOLD YOU REQUESTED DEICE. HAVE YOU REVIEWED [the bulletin]?'At this point I am aggravated with the questioning of safety! I called Dispatch and let them know exactly how I felt! I was unprofessional at that point but with reason. The next problem arose as operations was not ready to deice at push time nor prepared to deice per [their published] procedure as to location. [Neither] Dispatch; [local operations]; nor Ramp Personnel have any authority to question safety; or my decision to deice an aircraft!


Second narrative: On preflight I noticed significant frost on the upper and lower wing surfaces [and the] horizontal stabilizer. Leading edges were also frosted heavily. Although the outside temperature was six degrees C with drizzle; our aircraft had arrived from Airport ZZZ1 just four hours prior. I informed the Captain about the frost. He checked and concurred we needed deicing. A supervisor got on the radio and said they were prepping the truck. I asked if we were to be deiced on the gate. He stated 'we never deice on the gate as there are no drains for the fluid.' I then asked if he would please make a note on the [station] deice procedures sheet as it specifically states a deice location of 'At the Gate (prior to push) for Overnight/frost only ' which [was exactly our situation]. Why is [at the gate] even a deice location listed if it is never used?


Synopsis: A B737-700 flight crew discovered frost on the leading edges and surfaces of the wing and stabilizer during preflight. After making the required request for de-icing; they were alarmed and irate when local operations--and eventually their Dispatcher--instead suggested they needed to review a recent company bulletin which they believed superseded the Captain's request. The Captain succinctly suggested the airplane was unacceptable to all parties and the de-icing was completed.