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.

Session Objectives: Through the Boston Marathon tragedy, panel members will help attendees better understand: • 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.