PAX Centurion - Special Edition 2013

Page 30 • PAX CENTURION • Special Boston Marathon Bombing Issue 2013 617-989-BPPA (2772) EMS Division: “Our Finest Day!” “I t was Boston’s worst day, and our best day” Those were the words of Deputy Superintendent Michael Bosse when asked to sum up the events of April 15th, 2013. No easy task when trying to describe an event that rivals the Boston Massacre of 1770 in historical importance to this great city. The bombings of the Boston Marathon brought the very real threat of terrorism to our front doorstep, and in an instant, all eyes of the world turned toward Boston. Three people were killed, and over 280 injured, dozens critically. And even before the smoke cleared, and the echoes of the blasts died, EMTs and Paramedics of Boston EMS swarmed the sites, and attended the injured. I will not try and describe with feeble words the challenges those first brave EMTs faced when arriving on scene. Even when ordered to evacuate the area by police, as more suspi- cious packages were seen on the sidewalk, EMTs refused, unwilling to abandon those in need. Many lives were saved by the immediate emergency care provided on those shattered sidewalks. EMTs were not alone. Volunteers, other first responders, and bystanders swarmed in to help. Observers later remarked that in Boston, when the bombs exploded, people ran towards the blasts, and not away from them. As has been quoted by so many, when you need a hero in Boston, you only have to look to the person standing next to you. The performance of Boston EMS in responding to the Boston Marathon Bombings was unparalleled in the history of disaster By Ed McCarthy response. According to EMS Chief of Department James Hooley, over ninety victims were triaged within moments, and categorized by severity. The most seriously hurt were transported to receiving hospitals within fifteen minutes of the blasts. By the time 30 minutes had elapsed, ALL of the injured from the blast zones were assigned hospitals, and were en-route to definitive care – a miraculous feat. The fact that the management, dispatch, C-Med notification, and other communication functions of Boston EMS were handled by experienced EMTs in the operations center paid off in great measure in this time of crisis. Receiving hospitals praised the swiftness of the EMS response. Dr. Peter Burke at Boston Medical Center, among others, commented that he could not sing louder the praises for the EMS response to the scene. “Their actions saved many lives.” The training at Boston EMS is such that no one need be told what to do. Radio traffic was strangely quiet as crews went to work treating and extricating the injured. Boston EMS crews are simply the best of the best. EMS has long been a forward-thinking agency when it comes to disaster and attack response. EMS Special Operations Spe- cialists plan for the unthinkable regularly, and had units and recourses in place, ready for use if needed, as they do at all special events. The French newspaper Le Figaro foolishly speculated that unlike Los Angeles or NewYork, Boston was “relatively unprepared for acts of terrorism.” Silly, smelly Frenchmen.You could not be more wrong.