While completing my BS in Emergency Management, I was tasked with hyper attentiveness to the processes and principles that guide emergency managers in their daily 
routine. I studied preparedness, mitigation strategies, response, and recovery techniques, and viewed many case studies that covered a wide range of incidents that tasked the responders and those in charge to complete their jobs effectively.
Complacency is not something that those who are working diligently in Boston and in Texas to respond to these tragedies are facing. From all of the news reports that I have seen, the talented and skilled personnel on the job, from the race organizers and first responders up the chain to the Director of Homeland Security, Janet Napolatino, are doing an incredible job of providing the best service they can for the people of Boston and the population of the United States.
In Texas, the response to the explosion at the fertilizer plant has the same level of urgency and professionalism. Volunteer fire fighters, police officers, and medical personnel are working to rescue any survivors while they are treating those hurt and comforting their own.
Whether it is a national emergency such as a terrorist attack, or a local emergency such as a fire that turns into a mass casualty event, use of basic principles of emergency management does help personnel respond with a clear focus and assists in transitioning from one phase to the next.
My hats off to all responders, planners, and officials involved in directing the resources necessary to keep the public safe and highlight areas where we can improve. It is a job that requires dedication and determination from all involved, and you do not go unnoticed.
Disclaimer: The content of this blog and any opinions, observations, or ideas are mine and not associated in any way with my employer, The Reedy Creek Improvement District.
BRAINSTORM 9-1-1 