The sheriff’s department is moving into the 800-megahertz radio system.

The county board voted 5-0 Tuesday to fully commit to join the Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response. The board had postponed the decision last week because commissioners Mike Ankeny and Tim Gabrielson were not at the meeting.

Mower County was the last holdout, as all the other counties in southeast Minnesota have already converted to 800 MHz. Mower is still on a FM radio system.

Through grants, the county has purchased about 120 radio units for law enforcement, fire, EMT officials, and rural EMT and fire officials. The newest grant will replace the main radios in dispatch and would fully commit Mower to changing over to 800 MHz.

The county will pay half the cost of three 800-MHz radio consoles for dispatch that would cost about $175,000 each. The other half will be paid by grant dollars through the Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response.