Boston Marathon Terror Attack Two bombs exploded next to the finish line of the Boston Marathon at about 2.50PM. The explosions occurred at an interval of 15 seconds. The bombs had been planted 180 yards apart (Fielding et al., 2014). There were an estimated 5600 athletes participating in the race at the time of the explosion. The first explosion took place on 671 Boylston Street which happened to be near the finish line. The second explosion occurred on 755 Boylston Street. This was 180 yards away from the initial explosion site (Fielding et al., 2014; Gates et al., 2014). Multiple injuries have been reported. There were immediate treatment and triage efforts put into motion immediately after the incident occurred. The rescue efforts involved the police, EMS, health personnel and the marathon spectators nearby.

The Attack

It had been an afternoon full of fun and pomp, but the incident turned the jolly mood into a somber occasion filled with destruction and chaos. Three people died in the explosions. Lu Lingzi, Martin Richard and Krystle Campbell aged 23, 8 and 29, respectively, were killed in the explosion (Fielding et al., 2014). It has also been reported that 200 more spectators have sustained injuries. Some of the injured were in critical condition. 16 people sustained traumatic amputations. Matters are set to worsen because the number is likely to rise. Although there was notable destruction of property and buildings, there were no reported incidents of collapsed buildings or any that suffered structural damage. No fires were reported after the explosions. Most of the injured were provided with first aid attendance right at the scene and taken to healthcare facilities thereafter. One paramedic described the rescue operations as "a scoop and go". Those who were injured the most were taken into ambulances by EMS and driven to hospitals and health care centers within 9 minutes of the initial explosion.

There was an upsurge of information streaming into the many operation centers such as MDPHDOC, MACC, BRIC and BPD LECC. Others involved included BPD, BFD, MSP, Boston EMS and Transit PD. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that the bomb explosions were intentional malicious acts of sabotage and violence. Emergency incident response teams are trained to be cautious of possible ancillary attacks. The firefighters, EMS personnel and law enforcement officers did not hesitate but rushed in immediately to help the survivors of the explosions. It is notable that even some of the runners moved swiftly to help the injured. MANG soldiers moved in to help too; even after having completed the 26.2-mile rucksack march (Gates et al., 2014). Many patients were triaged and carried in ambulances on Boylston Street. A good number was also taken into the Alpha Tent via the entrance of Boylston Street entrance. Those who had been critically injured were loaded into ambulances at the rear end of the tent and moved to hospitals. Patients with critical injuries were instantly transported to medical centers while the ones with less severe injuries were prioritized and attended to within and around the ambulances.
Early investigation revealed that improvised bombs had been planted in the densely-populated spectator areas by unknown people (Holman, Garfin & Silver, 2014). It is not yet known whether the IEDs were planted by terrorists. There is need for thorough investigation.

Investigations

FBI is leading the investigation because it is their mandate to handle terrorist-related incidents. The Boston Office of the FBI took in the Central Coordination Center for Investigative Actions. An immediate unified command chain was established when rescue teams including MSP, BPD and Transit Police moved in to the scene for rescue…