THE 911 EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM BECAME OPERATIVE IN EDMONTON IN 1969, AND WAS STAFFED BY 17 OPERATORS PROVIDING 24-HOUR COVERAGE EACH DAY. THE FUNCTION OF 911 IS TO CONNECT CALLERS WITH THE POLICE, FIRE DEPARTMENT, PUBLIC UTILITIES, HOSPITALS, AND AMBULANCE SERVICES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT SUPERVISES 911 AND ITS OPERATORS, WHO KEEP RECORDS OF ALL CALLS TO ENSURE ACCURACY. THE DEMAND FOR 911 EMERGENCY SERVICE CONTINUES TO INCREASE. IN 1972, 24,500 EMERGENCY AND 20,500 NONEMERGENCY CALLS WERE REGISTERED COMPARED WITH 17,000 AND 19,000, RESPECTIVELY, IN 1970. EXTRANEOUS CALLS NUMBERED 27,000 IN 1972 BUT ARE DECREASING. THE LARGEST NUMBER OF CALLS IN 1972 WERE FOR POLICE AND AMBULANCE SERVICES. SYSTEM OPERATORS TOOK REFRESHER COURSES ON TELEPHONE ETIQUETTE AND REVIEWED THEIR OPERATOR'S MANUAL IN AUGUST 1972, AND JANUARY 1973. THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD THEIR WORK ARE POSITIVE, NOTWITHSTANDING OFTEN EXASPERATING PUBLIC DEMANDS. OPERATORS WHO INTERCEPT AND PASS ON POLICE COMPLAINT CALLS, MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY IN HANDLING THEM IF NO POLICE CONSTABLE IS ON DUTY, SINCE OPERATORS ARE NOT TRAINED TO HANDLE THESE COMPLAINTS. EACH YEAR, ABOUT 25 PERCENT OF 911 OPERATORS QUIT THEIR JOBS. TABLES ARE INCLUDED. (PAP)