Officials from Mesa County and the City of Grand Junction are taking part in a nationwide emergency planning effort. The "National Taskforce on Local Community Preparedness and Response to Strengthen Homeland Security in America's Communities" will create an emergency preparedness template that will be distributed nationwide.

This collaborative effort comes as local governments, law enforcement agencies and private sector entities around the county try to improve their response to large–scale emergencies through partnerships and more effective communication.

Mesa County Emergency Management Director Kimberly Bullen went to the advisory committee meeting in Washington, D.C. and wants to implement some of the things she learned.

The next step for the advisory committee will be to hold four regional meetings to identify the best emergency management practices from around the country.

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