Editor’s note: In the wake of the horrific bombing at the Boston Marathon, Chief Adam K. Thiel offers his thoughts and prayers to those affected.
I know you all will join me in extending our collective thoughts and prayers to the many people, including our public safety brothers and sisters, affected by the tragic events in Boston today.
While it’s an active incident and details are still emerging, we know for certain that the Boston Fire Department and Boston EMS are in the thick of it right now, and will likely be dealing with the aftermath for a long time to come.
It’s much too soon to tell how today will affect the national conversation about responding to, and recovering from, violent attacks on ordinary citizens. Regardless of what happens in the future, however, as images from Boston emerge, the entire world is seeing firefighters once again serving valiantly at the intersection of violence and our daily lives.
My guess is that most of us in the fire and emergency services have not become complacent about preparing for response to mass casualty incidents resulting from improvised explosive devices and other weapons of mass destruction.
Still, regardless of the specifics of this event or the threat profile going forward, it’s probably a good idea to brush up on our training, policies, and procedures for dealing with incidents where IEDs or other WMD might be involved.
Stay safe!