IRON MOUNTAIN — Dickinson County will commit an estimated $393,000 to update its computer-aided dispatch 911 software, hoping as well to secure grant assistance to lessen the cost.

A consortium of Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan counties is moving forward on a replacement plan as the current software approaches the end of its life, Sheriff Aaron Rochon said.

Neglecting to join the efforts of the North CAD Group would simply add to Dickinson County’s expense in maintaining a Next Generation 911 system, Rochon told the county board Tuesday.

North CAD includes nine U.P. counties as well as four in the northern Lower Peninsula. The U.P. 911 Authority established in 2008 also provides economies of scale in coordinating services throughout the region, Rochon explained.

The current soft

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