The Red Flag Warning means the area should expect strong winds and low humidity. The weather service warns that any fires will have the potential to spread very rapidly due to strong winds, low humidity and dry vegetation.

The Warning is in effect Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Here's what you can expect Thursday in Northern Virginia:

• Humidity: 25 to 30 percent.
• Winds: South 20 to 25 MPH, with gusts up to 35 MPH. The strongest gusts will be Thursday afternoon and early evening.

First responders and local, federal and state officials met at the Fort Gratiot township hall Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss cross-border cooperation in the event of an emergency.

The meeting was to prepare for an April exercise — called the Canada-U.S. Enhanced Resiliency Experiment — that would simulate joint response to a tornado.

The collaborative effort is the fourth of its kind along the U.S.-Canada border, and the first in Michigan, to arise from the 2011 Beyond the Border Initiative between the U.S. and Canada.

(TNS) - At a San Bernardino County department operations center activated in the wake of the Dec. 2 terrorist attack, a decision was made to marshal extra ambulances from Riverside County.

Three teams of five ambulances were assembled — one was sent to Redlands, another to Rancho Cucamonga and the third remained in Riverside on standby.

Please join Prince William County Police Department in supporting Officers McKeown and Hempen, who were seriously injured in the February 27, 2016 shooting that claimed the life of Officer Ashley Guindon.

The fundraiser will be held on Sunday, March 20th from 3-8pm at Blu1681 (13188 Marina Way, Woodbridge, VA 22191). 100% of the proceeds will go directly toward assisting Officers McKeowm and Hempen with expenses incurred due to their injuries.

(TNS) - Des Moines County officials have dealt with their share of emergencies during the past decade, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency saw potential for locals to benefit from a course at its training institute in Emmitsburg, Md.

The four-day Integrated Emergency Management Course is intended to prepare communities for large-scale disasters — from tornadoes to building collapses, airplane crashes and threats of terrorism.

(TNS) - One area hospital is now using an online service to help make the wait time a little less stressful for emergency department patients with non-life threatening conditions.

Beginning this week, patients can check in with the Emergency Department at Carteret Health Care in Morehead City via the InQuicker online service and wait to be seen from the comfort of their homes instead of in the waiting room. The service went live at the hospital on Tuesday.

The Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy team will serve as backup emergency responders to company mine rescue teams at every coal mine site in the state.

Charles Boothe, Bluefield Daily Telegraph, W.Va. | March 14, 2016

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(TNS) - For the first time in the state’s history, Virginia now has its own mine rescue team.

The Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) team will serve as backup emergency responders to company mine rescue teams at every coal mine site in the state.

Why does communications remain the thorny problem that it is?

Eric Holdeman | March 4, 2016
No. 1 finding from any functional or full-scale exercise usually is a need for better communication. FEMA

Preparing an after-action report (AAR) to identify what went well and what needs improvement is standard after a disaster exercise, be it a seminar, tabletop, functional or full-scale exercise.

'Everyone thought the electric current was going to run through the water. Cars were floating in the street from the flooding … it was insane.'

Samuel Gilbert, Al Jazeera, Doha, Qatar | March 4, 2016

The challenge for schools is how far to go on a continuum with tons of options. More locks? More cameras? More guards? More drills? Adding metal detectors? Arming school staff? There’s no way to make everyone happy.

Jeremy P. Kelley and Eric Schwartzberg, Journal-News, Hamilton, Ohio | March 7, 2016