Online Program

Oral

On Monday, April 15, 2013, two improvised explosive devices detonated near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring 264. The repercussions of this catastrophic terror event continue to reverberate in the Boston health community. Join us to hear first-hand accounts from a variety of viewpoints, first responders to first receivers. Speakers will outline what systems aided in the response and ongoing recovery, what particular challenges they faced and lessons learned. With two bombs strategically placed both by distance and time, the 2013 Boston Marathon finish line morphed from a place of planned celebration to an area littered with misery and bodies. As the initial shock was just settling in, the world watched in horror as the city of Boston went under lock down in law enforcement’s quest to locate the perpetrators. What unfolded in a matter of mere days was to have significant implications – health and non-health - on those Bostonians subjected to the events in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon tragedy. During this session, presenters – all who played key roles during the initial and ongoing response and recovery efforts – will share their perspectives on events as they unfolded with a focus on the health implications for all those impacted by these events. Through their collective experiences, presenters will take audience members behind the scenes to weave a more complete story about the immediate and longer term health implications of terrorism in a world increasingly less predictable. In turn, the worlds of emergency management, EMS, hospital/acute care, public health, and mental health will come together to describe Boston’s response and recovery efforts in the aftermath of the Marathon tragedy.

Session Objectives: Through the Boston Marathon tragedy, panel members will help attendees be able to identify, define and discuss: The important roles that advanced emergency planning and preparedness efforts play in mass casualty incidents in enhancing collaboration and coordination in the emergency phase of initial response; How various health and emergency response sector partners can come together to support emergency response efforts, including in the areas of triage, communication, coordination, and ongoing recovery activities before, during, and after a mass casualty incident; and, The critical relationship between initial emergency response efforts and the ongoing community recovery efforts in assuring community resiliency in communities impacted by mass casualty incidents.