AN EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM IS DEFINED AS A POINT-TO-POINT SYSTEM WHICH ALLOWS A CITIZEN IN DISTRESS TO TRANSMIT A REQUEST FOR AID TO A CENTRAL LOCATION BY EITHER CODE OR VOICE. FOUR MAJOR CATEGORIES OF SUCH SYSTEMS EXIST: THE 911 SYSTEM, EMERGENCY HIGHWAY, SINGLE AGENCY, AND SECURITY FIRMS. AS OF SEPTEMBER 1973, THERE WERE OVER 220 SYSTEMS OF 911 SERVICE OPERATING IN THE U.S. A STUDY OF EXISTING HIGHWAY COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS FAILS TO IDENTIFY ANY SINGLE, MAJOR SUPPLIER OF SUCH SYSTEMS, OR A DEFINABLE ORGANIZATION OF THE MARKET. EXISTING FACILITIES ARE GENERALLY SPECIALIZED, SERVING THE NEEDS OF ONLY ONE OPERATIONAL GROUP, SUCH AS HIGHWAY MAINTENENANCE AGENCIES, STATE POLICE, OR TRUCKERS. THE PRESENT MEANS OF COMMUNICATION FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC ARE A SPARSE, CONFUSING ARRAY OF 'PULLBOX' RADIO EQUIPMENTS HAVING ONE-WAY COMMUNICATION CAPABILITY, ALARMS TRIPPED BY THE BLINKING OF HEADLIGHTS AT A SPARSE POPULATION OF ROADSIDE DETECTORS, AND A FEW TELEPHONES THAT ARE NOT INTEGRATED INTO AN ORGANIZED SYSTEM CAPABLE OF EFFICIENTLY HANDLING THE EMERGENCIES FOR WHICH THEY ARE INTENDED. A COMPARISON OF A SIGNALING EMERGENCY SYSTEM, USED FOR FIRE COMPANIES AND SOME STATE POLICE AGENCIES, AND A TWO-WAY VOICE SYSTEM REVEALS THE ADVANTAGES OF THE LATTER OVER THE FORMER. THESE ADVANTAGES ARE DETAILED AND PROJECTED COST FOR IMPLEMENTING SUCH A SYSTEM NATIONWIDE ARE PRESENTED. A DIAGRAM AND ILLUSTRATIONS ARE INCLUDED. (PRG)