Date: 202011
Local time of day: 0001-0600
Location: ZZZ.Tower, US
Aircraft: No Aircraft
Reporter organization: Government
Reporter function: Local
Reporter qualification: Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Human factors: Confusion; Workload; Time Pressure; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: Other at work
Result: General None Reported / Taken
Contributing factors: Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
Primary problem: Environment - Non Weather Related

Narrative: I was in bed sleeping at XA:05am.  My scheduled shift for the day was supposed to begin at XE:00L.  I received a phone call at XA:05 from my operations manager.  He said that this phone call was not a joke and that he needed me to report to work ASAP because the Tower was being evacuated due to a COVID-19 case and the 'need for secondary cleaning.'  I was aware of the fellow colleague who had been out on quarantine. The colleague had last worked a shift on [date] in the Tower.  Apparently managers above me had become aware that this colleague had contracted the virus.  A telcon had been convened in the earlier hours of the morning and during that telcon it was determined that cleaning the Tower was necessary due to the COVID case of an employee who hadn't worked in the Tower in over XX days.  It was determined that this cleaning needed to take place ASAP.  No regard was given to the fact that the employee hadn't worked for XX days and that controllers had worked in the permanent Tower for close to two weeks. Even more frustrating was the fact that this cleaning would take place during the busiest and most complex traffic times of the facility.  There was no pre-planning for this transition to take place.  From the time I was awakened; I was on the phone communicating and preparing for a very complex transition to a temporary Tower.  As this was early in the morning; there were almost no resources available to prepare for and to facilitate this transition.In my opinion; those that made this decision were extremely short-sighted and negligent in considering the impact to the safety of the operation and to those working in the operation.  With the help of the ZZZ Airport Manager on Duty and my Operations Manager; I reported alone to a contingency Tower at the terminal at with two portable radios.  Prior to leaving the permanent Tower I met with one of the two controllers on duty for the graveyard shift and explained to them the transition.  These two controllers stayed beyond the end of their shifts to facilitate the transition.  Their actions were exemplary. By XF:00 am all X controllers who were scheduled to work the day shift were with me in the temporary Tower.  I had coordinated with the TRACON to have the Developmental Controller on shift stay in the TRACON to work flight data.  The actions of the controllers that morning were heroic.  Working with 3 radios; two telephones; and a few pads of paper and pens.  The controllers on shift safely moved the three busiest traffic banks of the day while the permanent Tower was cleaned.  I was in awe of their professionalism and commitment to safety.  Their expertise was truly heroic.At XH:00 am Local; the cleaning was completed and we were able to transition to the permanent Tower.  As a team we were proud of what we had accomplished in spite of very difficult circumstance.The timing of this event was horrific.  Those who demanded the cleaning take place took no regard for operational safety.  There is no reason that after XX days of working in the permanent Tower under possible exposure that it would not have hurt to delay the cleaning until the operation was in a better position to support cleaning.  This cleaning should have happened on a mid shift and the facility should have been closed for the duration of the cleaning.  I am aware of multiple enroute centers that have been closed for cleaning.  The cleaning is always done overnight and there is sufficient traffic management support and communication to the users about the event.  This decision to clean the Tower was made in the early hours of the morning and as the one who facilitated the transition I am aware of no support or awareness that come from outside the facility.  In this event I am not aware of any communications to the users that we were in a temporary Tower.  This event was mitigated by the expertise of air traffic controllers who have been heroically working for months through thispandemic.  They are already working short staffed in less than ideal conditions.  Instead of recognizing these circumstances; those on the telcon who mandated the cleaning ignored the safety of the operation.




Synopsis: Tower Controller reported safety concerns while transitioning to a temporary contingency tower while the permanent tower underwent COVID-19 cleaning procedures during a busy traffic time of day.