CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

                                       OF

                             DETECTION SYSTEMS, INC.

                          [as amended through 9/17/98]

                        Under Section 402 of the Business
                             Corporation Law of the
                                State of New York


            First:  The name of the corporation is:

                             DETECTION SYSTEMS, INC.

            Second: The purposes for which it is formed are as follows:

                    To  design,  develop,   manufacture,   assemble,  fabricate,
                    import,  lease,  market,  purchase or otherwise  acquire and
                    generally  to trade and deal in and with,  as  principal  or
                    agent,  at  wholesale,  retail,  on commission or otherwise,
                    materials,   components   and   devices  of  a   mechanical,
                    electrical,  optical or chemical nature for use in detection
                    systems, signal systems and other systems.

                    To  acquire  by  purchase,  assignment,  grant,  license  or
                    otherwise,  to apply  for,  secure,  lease or in any  manner
                    obtain, to develop, hold, own, use, exploit,  operate, enjoy
                    and introduce,  to sell, assign,  lease,  mortgage,  pledge,
                    grant  licenses  and rights of all kinds in  respect  of, or
                    otherwise  dispose of, and generally to deal in and with and
                    turn to account for any or all  purposes,  either for itself
                    or as nominee or agent for others:

                    (1) Any and all inventions, devices, processes,  discoveries
                    and formulae, and improvements and modifications thereof and
                    rights and interests therein;

                    (2) Any and all letters patent or  applications  for letters
                    patent  of the  United  States  of  America  or of any other
                    country,  state,  locality  or  authority,  and  any and all
                    rights,  interests  and  privileges  connected  therewith or
                    incidental or appertaining thereto;

                    (3) Any and all  copyrights  granted by the United States of
                    America or any other country,  state, locality or authority,
                    and any and all rights,  interests and privileges  connected
                    therewith or incidental or appertaining thereto.

                To purchase or otherwise acquire,  hold, own, sell, lease or
                otherwise dispose of real property,  improved or unimproved,
                and personal  property,  tangible or intangible,  including,
                without  limitation,  goods,  wares and merchandise of every
                description  and  the  securities  and  obligations  of  any
                issuer, whether or not incorporated.

     To  do  all  and  everything   necessary,   suitable,  or  proper  for  the
accomplishment  of any of the purposes,  the attainment of any of the objects or
the  furtherance of any of the powers  hereinbefore  set forth,  either alone or
connection  with  other  corporations,   firms  or  individuals  and  either  as
principals,  or  agents  and to do  every  other  act or acts,  thing or  things
incidental or appurtenant to or growing out of or connection  with the aforesaid
objects, purposes or powers or any of them.
     The foregoing  enumeration of specific  powers shall not be deemed to limit
or  restrict  in any  manner  the  general  powers of the  corporation,  and the
enjoyment  and  exercise  thereof,  as conferred by the laws of the State of New
York  upon   corporations   organized  under  the  provisions  of  the  Business
Corporation Law.
     Third: The office of the corporation  within the State of New York is to be
located in the City of Rochester, County of Monroe.
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     Fourth:  The aggregate  number of shares which the  Corporation  shall have
authority to issue is twenty-four  million  (24,000,000) common shares, with par
value of Five Cents ($.05) per share.  
     Fifth: No holder of shares of the Corporation of any class now or hereafter
authorized,  shall have any  preferential or preemptive  right to subscribe for,
purchase or receive any shares of the corporation of any class, now or hereafter
authorized,  or any  options  or  warrants  for such  shares,  or any  rights to
subscribe to or purchase  such shares,  or any  securities  convertible  into or
exchangeable for such shares,  which may at any time be issued,  sold or offered
for sale by the Corporation.
     Sixth: The Secretary of State is designated the agent of the Corporation
upon whom process against the Corporation may be served. The post office address
to which the Secretary of State shall mail a copy of any process against the
Corporation so served upon him is 130 Perinton Parkway, Fairport, New York
14450.