THE FUNCTIONS OF THE DISPATCH POSITION WERE DEFINED IN A FLOW DIAGRAM FORMAT AND RELATED TO PERFORMANCE EVALUATION CRITERIA. CRITERIA INCLUDED FORM COMPLETION TIME, INFORMATION ACCURACY, DECISION ABILITY AND TACT, EACH WAS ASSIGNED A FACTOR WHICH REFLECTED ITS RELATIVE IMPORTANCE TO EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE OF THE POSITION FUNCTION. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS WERE THEN ESTABLISHED BY TESTING PROFICIENT DISPATCH PERSONNEL AGAINST DESIGNED SITUATIONS. A NUMBER OF SITUATIONAL SCENARIOS WERE GENERATED AFTER ANALYSIS OF TAPE RECORDINGS OF ACTUAL FIELD INCIDENTS. EACH EXERCISE CONSISTED OF A SERIES OF INCIDENT CALLS ONE OF WHICH WAS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. THE PHYSICAL FACILITIES INCLUDED TWO ADJOINING ROOMS. THE TRAINEE ROOM WAS EQUIPPED WITH COMPLAINT DESK, RADIO OPERATOR CONSOLE, STATUS BOARD AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT REQUIRED FOR DISPATCH OPERATION. THE INSTRUCTOR'S ROOM INCLUDED TELEPHONES TO SIMULATE INCOMING CALLS AND RADIO TRAFFIC. ALL COMMUNICATION TRAFFIC AND THE TRAINEE ACTIONS WERE RECORDED ON VIDEO TAPE FOR PLAYBACK ANALYSIS. THE SIMULATION MODEL WAS VALIDATED BY TESTING IT AGAINST ALL ON-BOARD DISPATCH PERSONNEL AND THEN USED TO TRAIN NEW DISPATCHERS. IT WILL ALSO BE USED TO FAMILIARIZE NEW OFFICERS AND MAINTAIN/UPGRADE THE DECISION CAPABILITIES OF ON-BOARD PERSONNEL IN THE OVERALL COMMAND/CONTROL OPERATION. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)