Preparing for emergencies: lessons from the Boston Marathon

With the recent bombings at the Boston Marathon, being prepared in case of emergency is a growing concern for event organizers and participants.

Dr. Paul Arnold is an expert in emergency medicine and mass casualty incident preparedness. A clinical instructor and lecturer with the University of Toronto's Faculty of Medicine, Arnold spoke with U of T News about the importance of being prepared.

What is the most important thing organizers of events such as marathons need to put in place in case of emergencies?

Crimes of violence at mass public gatherings are rare. It is much more likely to see ordinary medical problems. Furthermore, there are an infinite number of ways a determined attacker can strike so it is not possible to guard against them all. Therefore, the most important ways to deal with emergencies are good planning for ordinary medical problems and good communications between the event planners and medical, fire and police services.

The third key is to have adequate numbers of people with first aid and rescue skills deployed at the event.
 
Are there any lessons participants and organizers of the upcoming marathon in Toronto can take from the experience of the Boston Marathon?

One thing I took from the videos of the tragedy in Boston is how quickly rescuers and bystanders swung into action and helped the injured. They were clearly well trained and well prepared. This tragedy does not change the needs of the upcoming Toronto marathon, but no doubt the organizers will take a close look at their contingency plans and make sure they are solid.
 
How can cell and smart phones be used to help people in emergency situations?

Cell phones can be helpful to summon assistance. The downside is that communication networks can be overwhelmed by all the calls.

Instead of shooting amateur video of the scene, I think that once they have called 911 to summon police and ambulances, concerned citizens should put the phone away and provide first aid or evacuate people who need help.
 
In general, what are the most important things that individuals can do to prepare for emergencies?

Everyone should know some basic first aid. People should always take a moment to plan how they will cope if something goes wrong while they are at a public event. For example, many spectators at the Boston marathon have told the media how they had prearranged a place to meet in the event of getting separated or not feeling well.

Cell phones have greatly improved our ability to react to a crisis, but phone networks can be overloaded, so advance planning helps.