Christina Hernon, MD, FAAEM, an emergency medicine physician and medical toxicologist, shares her experience as a spontaneous responder during the Boston Marathon bombing. The story highlights the often overlooked role of spontaneous responders and emphasizes the need for better preparation, debriefing, and support for those who find themselves thrust into such situations.

For more resources about emergency responders, terrorism, mass casualty incidents, and bombs, check out PPN Resource Central, an expertly curated database of thousands of resources related to giving care to children — every day and in crises.

Resources:

• The Immediate Responder & The Disaster Gap
• The Impromptu Immediate Responder- Christina Hernon
• The Initial Response to the Boston Marathon Bombing - National Library of Medicine
• Emergency Communications Case Study: Emergency Communications August 2013 During the Response to the Boston Marathon Bombing - U.S. Department of Homeland Security