A TABLE LISTS EMERGENCY DISPATCHING AGENCIES BY CATEGORY. IT SHOWS THE AREAS THAT EACH AGENCY SERVES AND THE DISPATCHING SERVICES (POLICE, FIRE, OR AMBULANCE) THAT THE AGENCY PROVIDES TO EACH AREA. A TOTAL OF 28 FULL-TIME POLICE DISPATCHING AGENCIES EXISTS IN ST. LOUIS COUNTY, WITH 1 PART-TIME POLICE DISPATCHING AGENCY (SHREWSBURY). IN ADDITION, THERE ARE SEVEN FIRE DISPATCHING AGENCIES, OF WHICH THREE ARE ALARM CENTERS AND FOUR ARE MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENTS. DISPATCHING FOR A MUNICIPAL FIRE DEPARTMENT IS USUALLY HANDLED BY THE MUNICIPALITY'S POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND COUNTY AMBULANCE DISPATCHING IS PROVIDED BY POLICE AND FIRE DISPATCHING AGENCIES. ANOTHER TABLE SHOWS EMERGENCY DISPATCHING AGENCIES WHICH PROVIDE POLICE, FIRE, AND AMBULANCE DISPATCHING SERVICES SERVICES FOR EACH COUNTY MUNICIPALITY (ONLY INCORPORATED AREAS ARE INCLUDED). TO VERIFY THE TABULAR INFORMATION, FORMS WERE SENT TO MOST MUNICIPAL AND DISPATCHING AGENCY OFFICIALS. AS OF FEBRUARY 1978, 21 OF THE 91 MUNICIPALITIES AND 3 OF THE 36 EMERGENCY AGENCIES HAD NOT RESPONDED. THE TABULAR DATA RAISE SEVERAL QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE USE OF POLICE DISPATCHING AGENCIES AS PRIMARY ANSWERING POINTS, POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT CONSOLIDATION OF DISPATCHING RESPONSIBILITIES, AND THE USE OF CAMPUS POLICE AND THE LAMBERT AIRPORT POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS AS ANSWERING POINTS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--AOP)