Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 5
Situational Awareness; Distraction; Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Troubleshooting
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic
Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure
I was about to switch Aircraft X to Atlanta approach Macon sector but before I did that; there were two pieces of traffic that I decided to call to the pilot.  The first was an aircraft on the boundary with my sector and ATL approach that was at 070 that I believe I was talking to and the second aircraft was a VFR target just inside Atlanta approaches airspace over the VNA VOR converging with Aircraft X indicating about 064.  My intention was to call the traffic and then switch the aircraft to the next sector who had the hand off so they they could have enough time to call traffic since the conflict was slightly inside their airspace.  So that's what I did; I called both pieces of traffic to the pilot and then switched him but the pilot asked again about where the traffic was and seemed confused so I had to spend more time to explain where the traffic was to the pilot.  As the situation developed I decided it would be more prudent to call Atl Approach and coordinate something so that this aircraft won't hit this VFR aircraft that I see out there.  When I called the ATL controller to work something out; the other controller said something along the lines of; 'Just ship him to me; I'll call the traffic to him again; that aircraft is VFR anyway.'   I said I'm going to turn Aircraft X 15L so the two aircraft don't hit.'  The other controller said; 'That's fine; do what you want.'  I turned Aircraft X 15L to avoid the VFR traffic.  In the mean time; the VFR target started a descent from 064 passed through 060; the same altitude as Aircraft X.  I my opinion; the 15L I gave Aircraft X possibly avoided a collision.    This situation was frustrating to me because we are constantly briefed here at ZJX that VFR aircraft are airplanes too; an although there is no specific separation minima between a VFR and a IFR; we still have an obligation to separate them to avoid a collision.  The controller at ATL Approach had an indifferent; attitude about separating the IFR aircraft from the VFR aircraft.  I'm sure that controller would have preferred to have been talking to Aircraft X sooner but I was delayed shipping him because he kept asking questions about where the traffic I called was; so I decided to take matters into my own hands to avoid a collision even though the event happened just inside their airspace.  That controller had the 'old school' mentality of; 'We'll he's VFR'.
ZJX Controller describes a situation with tow aircraft that are at the same altitude and he needs to ship one to the next facility.  He issues a 15 degree turn to the left and then ships the aircraft.  Controller states the turn did help because the other aircraft descended to the turned aircraft's altitude.