THE SYSTEM WAS DEVELOPED TO REDUCE DUPLICATION OF PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT USED BY SIMILAR EMERGENCY SERVICES WITHIN ADAMS COUNTY AND WAS ONE OF THE FIRST COUNTYWIDE 911 SYSTEMS IN INDIANA AND POSSIBLY THE UNITED STATES. COOPERATION FROM THE TELEPHONE COMPANY WAS ENHANCED BY THEIR CONCURRENT PLANS TO SWITCH TO COMPUTERIZED DIRECT DIALING EQUIPMENT. THE COMMUNICATIONS CENTER HAS FOUR 911 LINES AND TWO 20 LINE PHONES WHICH ARE MANNED BY ONE DISPATCHER EVERY 8 HOURS. THE CENTER RECEIVES COMPLAINTS AND ADMINISTRATIVE CALLS AS WELL AS EMERGENCIES AND IS CONNECTED WITH INTERCOM HOOKUPS IN ELDERLY APARTMENT COMPLEXES IN DECATUR. THE SHERIFF OF ADAMS COUNTY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OPERATIONS OF THE CENTER, AND THE COUNTY PAYS ALL EXPENSES. RADIO EQUIPMENT WAS INSTALLED IN ALL FIRE TRUCKS, AND MEMBERS OF THE PREDOMINANTLY VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT WEAR PAGERS. THE NEW SYSTEM HAS IMPROVED RESPONSE CAPABILITIES AND INCREASED THE NUMBERS OF VOLUNTEERS WHO RESPOND TO FIRE ALARMS. EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ARE ORGANIZED IN A SIMILAR MANNER. A CARD FILE OF ADDRESSES, INTERSECTIONS, AND FIRE DEPARTMENT LOCATIONS WAS ALSO DEVELOPED TO HELP DISPATCHERS SEND THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT TO THE CORRECT LOCATION. THE CENTER MIGHT REPLACE THE CARD FILE WITH A COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM TO REDUCE RESPONSE TIME. DISPATCHERS MUST INITIALLY COMPLETE A SPECIALIZED COURSE AT THE INDIANA LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND THEN TAKE EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRAINING WITHIN 1 YEAR. THE SYSTEM HAS IMPROVED POLICE AND FIRE SERVICES WITHOUT INCREASING TAXES, WITH PLANNING AND NEW EQUIPMENT COSTS LARELY FUNDED BY FEDERAL AND STATE GRANTS. IN EVENT OF POWER FAILURE, THE CENTER IS CONNECTED TO A CIVIL DEFENSE GENERATOR AND A SPECIAL TELEPHONE COMPANY HOTLINE. THE PHYSICAL ARRANGEMENTS AND EQUIPMENT USED IN THE COMMUNICATIONS CENTER ARE DETAILED. (MJM)