Moderators: Elvis, DrVolin, Jeff
by smiths » Tue Apr 16, 2013 4:11 am
by justdrew » Tue Apr 16, 2013 4:17 am
by smiths » Tue Apr 16, 2013 4:18 am
Boston to Deploy Mass-Casualty Tablet Device During Marathon
Press Release • April 12th, 2013
From: OPEN Incorporated- SafetyPAD
Boston EMS is deploying a new, off-the-shelf, lightweight mobile device for the first time at the Boston Marathon on April 15.
The platform, from SafetyPAD, is intended for use in mass-casualty situations gives EMS personnel the ability to carry into crowds and assess a patient upon arrival, document in realtime, transmit data to transport units before they arrive, and other features.
Boston EMS will utilize the new Android-based program for bike and gator teams along race route.
For more, visit: http://www.safetypad.com.
by FourthBase » Tue Apr 16, 2013 4:31 am
smiths wrote:Boston to Deploy Mass-Casualty Tablet Device During Marathon
Press Release • April 12th, 2013
From: OPEN Incorporated- SafetyPAD
Boston EMS is deploying a new, off-the-shelf, lightweight mobile device for the first time at the Boston Marathon on April 15.
The platform, from SafetyPAD, is intended for use in mass-casualty situations gives EMS personnel the ability to carry into crowds and assess a patient upon arrival, document in realtime, transmit data to transport units before they arrive, and other features.
Boston EMS will utilize the new Android-based program for bike and gator teams along race route.
For more, visit: http://www.safetypad.com.
http://mobile.firehouse.com/press_relea ... g-marathon
by Nordic » Tue Apr 16, 2013 4:35 am
smiths wrote:they were either very small bombs made by someone genuinely amateur,
or they were designed for minimal casualties
an Iraq style explosive in a similar setting would have killed 40-100 people and ripped the front off the building standing over the detonation site
i think it looks like maximum publicity for minimum casualty
(pure speculation, dismiss as you feel free)
by FourthBase » Tue Apr 16, 2013 4:39 am
by FourthBase » Tue Apr 16, 2013 4:45 am
Nordic wrote:smiths wrote:they were either very small bombs made by someone genuinely amateur,
or they were designed for minimal casualties
an Iraq style explosive in a similar setting would have killed 40-100 people and ripped the front off the building standing over the detonation site
i think it looks like maximum publicity for minimum casualty
(pure speculation, dismiss as you feel free)
I agree. The whole thing seemed mostly for show, although there were a few deaths and some gruesome injuries. But yeah, compared to, say, car bomb footage from Iraq they seemed very small and oddly picturesque. Reminded me of that opening scene in "Children of Men". Rather cinematic.
I don't want to sound callous -- this was a horrible and evil act -- but considering the shit our country does on an almost daily and routine basis, I'm rather surprised this sort of thing doesn't happen with great frequency here.
by 82_28 » Tue Apr 16, 2013 4:48 am
FourthBase wrote:Latest from WCVB on JFK Library fire:
Ruled a mechanical fire, but investigators haven't ruled out a relationship to marathon attacks.
Uh...what?
by 82_28 » Tue Apr 16, 2013 4:54 am
Shortly thereafter, the director of the JFK Library told the Dorchester Reporter, a local newspaper, that the damage onsite "was confined to a mechanical room near the archive section of the library" and the library's Twitter feed described the damage as a "fire":
by smiths » Tue Apr 16, 2013 4:56 am
by seemslikeadream » Tue Apr 16, 2013 5:09 am
Boston Bombings Search Warrant: Authorities Search Massachusetts Apartment In Connection With Blasts
By JIMMY GOLEN 04/15/13 11:55 PM ET EDT
BOSTON — Two bombs exploded in the crowded streets near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday, killing at least three people and injuring more than 140 in a bloody scene of shattered glass and severed limbs that raised alarms that terrorists might have struck again in the U.S.
A White House official speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still unfolding said the attack was being treated as an act of terrorism.
President Barack Obama vowed that those responsible will "feel the full weight of justice."
As many as two unexploded bombs were also found near the end of the 26.2-mile course as part of what appeared to be a well-coordinated attack, but they were safely disarmed, according to a senior U.S. intelligence official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because of the continuing investigation.
The fiery twin blasts took place about 10 seconds and about 100 yards apart, knocking spectators and at least one runner off their feet, shattering windows and sending dense plumes of smoke rising over the street and through the fluttering national flags lining the route. Blood stained the pavement, and huge shards were missing from window panes as high as three stories.
"They just started bringing people in with no limbs," said runner Tim Davey of Richmond, Va. He said he and his wife, Lisa, tried to shield their children's eyes from the gruesome scene inside a medical tent that had been set up to care for fatigued runners, but "they saw a lot."
"They just kept filling up with more and more casualties," Lisa Davey said. "Most everybody was conscious. They were very dazed."
As the FBI took charge of the investigation, authorities shed no light on a motive or who may have carried out the bombings, and police said they had no suspects in custody. Officials in Washington said there was no immediate claim of responsibility.
WBZ-TV reported late Monday that law enforcement officers were searching an apartment in the Boston suburb of Revere. Massachusetts State Police confirmed that a search warrant related to the investigation into the explosions was served Monday night in Revere but provided no further details.
Police said three people were killed. An 8-year-old boy was among the dead, according to a person who talked to a friend of the family and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Hospitals reported at least 144 people injured, at least 17 of them critically. The victims' injuries included broken bones, shrapnel wounds and ruptured eardrums.
At Massachusetts General Hospital, Alisdair Conn, chief of emergency services, said: "This is something I've never seen in my 25 years here ... this amount of carnage in the civilian population. This is what we expect from war."
Some 23,000 runners took part in the race, one of the world's oldest and most prestigious marathons.
One of Boston's biggest annual events, the race winds up near Copley Square, not far from the landmark Prudential Center and the Boston Public Library. It is held on Patriots Day, which commemorates the first battles of the American Revolution, at Concord and Lexington in 1775.
Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis asked people to stay indoors or go back to their hotel rooms and avoid crowds as bomb squads methodically checked parcels and bags left along the race route. He said investigators didn't know whether the bombs were hidden in mailboxes or trash cans.
He said authorities had received "no specific intelligence that anything was going to happen" at the race.
The Federal Aviation Administration barred low-flying aircraft within 3.5 miles of the site.
"We still don't know who did this or why," Obama said at the White House, adding, "Make no mistake: We will get to the bottom of this."
With scant official information to guide them, members of Congress said there was little or no doubt it was an act of terrorism.
"We just don't know whether it's foreign or domestic," said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security.
A few miles away from the finish line and around the same time, a fire broke out at the John F. Kennedy Library. The police commissioner said that it may have been caused by an incendiary device but that it was not clear whether it was related to the bombings.
The first explosion occurred on the north side of Boylston Street, just before the finish line, and some people initially thought it was a celebratory cannon blast.
When the second bomb went off, spectators' cheers turned to screams. As sirens blared, emergency workers and National Guardsmen who had been assigned to the race for crowd control began climbing over and tearing down temporary fences to get to the blast site.
The bombings occurred about four hours into the race and two hours after the men's winner crossed the finish line. By that point, more than 17,000 of the athletes had finished the marathon, but thousands more were still running.
The attack may have been timed for maximum carnage: The four-hour mark is typically a crowded time near the finish line because of the slow-but-steady recreational runners completing the race and because of all the friends and relatives clustered around to cheer them on.
Runners in the medical tent for treatment of dehydration or other race-related ills were pushed out to make room for victims of the bombing.
A woman who was a few feet from the second bomb, Brighid Wall, 35, of Duxbury, said that when it exploded, runners and spectators froze, unsure of what to do. Her husband threw their children to the ground, lay on top of them and another man lay on top of them and said, "Don't get up, don't get up."
After a minute or so without another explosion, Wall said, she and her family headed to a Starbucks and out the back door through an alley. Around them, the windows of the bars and restaurants were blown out.
She said she saw six to eight people bleeding profusely, including one man who was kneeling, dazed, with blood trickling down his head. Another person was on the ground covered in blood and not moving.
"My ears are zinging. Their ears are zinging," Wall said. "It was so forceful. It knocked us to the ground."
Competitors and race volunteers were crying as they fled the chaos. Authorities went onto the course to carry away the injured, while race stragglers were rerouted away from the smoking site.
Roupen Bastajian, a state trooper from Smithfield, R.I., had just finished the race when he heard the blasts.
"I started running toward the blast. And there were people all over the floor," he said. "We started grabbing tourniquets and started tying legs. A lot of people amputated. ... At least 25 to 30 people have at least one leg missing, or an ankle missing, or two legs missing."
The race honored the victims of the Newtown, Conn., shooting with a special mile marker in Monday's race.
Boston Athletic Association president Joanne Flaminio previously said there was "special significance" to the fact that the race is 26.2 miles long and 26 people died at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Boston Marathon blasts put world's cities on alert
A law enforcement officer stands post at the U.S. Capitol, Monday, April 15, 2013 in Washington. Authorities say the blasts during the Boston Marathon killed two people and injured at least 73,(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
By TAMI ABDOLLAH and COLLEEN LONG
Associated Press / April 16, 2013
The deadly explosions at the Boston Marathon reverberated on both sides of the Atlantic as cities from Los Angeles to London saw a surge in security.
The White House, New York’s Times Square, and the preparations for former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s funeral in London all had enhanced and intensified law enforcement presence after Monday’s two blasts in Boston.
Police in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Detroit, San Diego and Las Vegas monitored landmarks, government buildings, transit hubs and sporting events. Law enforcement agencies also urged the public via Twitter and Facebook to report suspicious activity to the police.
British police were also reviewing security plans for Sunday’s London Marathon — the next major international race — because of the bombs that killed three people and injured more than 140 in Boston.
And the already robust security operation was stepped up for Wednesday’s ceremonial funeral for Thatcher. The event at St. Paul’s Cathedral, to be attended by Queen Elizabeth II and other dignitaries, calls for a procession through the streets of London, with Thatcher’s flag-draped coffin carried on a horse-drawn carriage.
In New York, authorities deployed so-called critical response teams— highly visible patrol units that move in packs with lights and sirens, — along with more than 1,000 counterterrorism officers. Highly trafficked areas like the Empire State building, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the United Nations and the World Trade Center site were being especially monitored.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the police department was fully prepared to protect the city.
‘‘Some of the security steps we are taking may be noticeable,’’ Bloomberg said. ‘‘And others will not be.’’
In Washington, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano urged the American public ‘‘to be vigilant and to listen to directions from state and local officials.’’
At the White House, the Secret Service expanded its security perimeter after the attacks, shutting down Pennsylvania Avenue and cordoning off the area with yellow police tape. Several Secret Service patrol cars blocked off entry points, although the White House was not on lockdown and tourists and other onlookers were still allowed in the park across the street.
Speaking late Monday from the White House, President Barack Obama declared that those responsible would ‘‘feel the full weight of justice,’’ though he urged a nervous nation not to jump to conclusions and pointedly avoided using the words ‘‘terror’’ or ‘‘terrorism.’’
However, top lawmakers declared the deadly incident an act of terrorism, and a White House official said it was being treated that way.
In California, emergency management officials activated their statewide threat assessment system, which was established after the Sept. 11 attacks.
In Seattle, police increased patrols in neighborhoods and around government buildings and other facilities. In Colorado, a statewide alert was sent out advising law enforcement agencies to look out for suspicious activities.
In New Jersey, authorities raised security statewide, calling in off-duty state police officers and deploying bomb units, aviation crews, tactical teams and search and rescue assets as a precaution.
Transit and port officials in New York and New Jersey were on heightened alert at bridges, tunnels and on rail lines between the two states, as well as on New York City’s subway system and commuter rails.
And at the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach, as well as at three major Los Angeles airports, including Los Angeles International, law enforcement officials were in a ‘‘heightened state of vigilance,’’ with increased patrols, authorities said.
Security was also tightened at sports venues nationwide, though most events were held as planned.
The exceptions were in Boston itself, where Monday night’s NHL game between the Bruins and Ottawa Senators was postponed and Tuesday’s NBA game between the Celtics and Indiana Pacers was canceled.
Officials announced plans for security reviews of upcoming marathons and road races in cities large and small, including this weekend’s marathon in Lansing, Mich., Nashville’s Country Music Marathon on April 27, next month’s Indianapolis 500 Festival Mini-Marathon and the San Francisco Marathon in June.
Race officials for the Illinois Marathon in Champaign and Urbana, Ill., said they were already fielding calls from worried runners and their families and planned to meet Wednesday to discuss more security measures such as bomb-sniffing dogs.
by FourthBase » Tue Apr 16, 2013 5:12 am
smiths wrote:yes we don't have a final death toll, but i have got eyes, i have watched the explosions and their aftermath on 3 separate videos repeatedly
windows that are less than 20 feet from the blast are unaffected
if you want to see an actual bomb (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bhes7PzoJQ)
this device in a built up area would have killed hundreds and flattened multiple buildings
i have drawn my conclusions, if the death toll exceeds 5 i will be staggered
it goes without saying for almost all here that casualties in bombings are tragic and sad, but to analyze an event does not make you callous
by seemslikeadream » Tue Apr 16, 2013 5:21 am
Boston cops, feds descend on Revere buildings
Monday, April 15, 2013 PrintEmail Comments (10)
By:
O’Ryan Johnson
Boston police and a cadre of federal officials descended on an Ocean Avenue apartment complex in Revere last night.
In addition to two Boston Police K-9 units and a bomb squad unit, a large contingent of federal agents from the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as Homeland Security investigations and state police had assembled at the two buildings.
It was unclear whether the search was connected to the Boston Marathon bombings. Tight-lipped agents said nothing to assembled media. Worried building residents said they were left in the dark.
Marcus Worthington, 24, a building resident said no one has told him what was happening.
“I started noticing the cars, the Taurus there and that one about 5,” Worthington said. “We were thankful we decide not to go down. It’s best not to jump to conclusions.”
Worthington’s girlfriend Whitney Drake, 24, was concerned.
“It’s never a good thing to see all of these agencies. It’s more than a local problem,” Drake said.
Revere Fire Department engine and ladder arrived with Cataldo Ambulance service arrived about 10:30 p.m.
Officials had no comment when asked by reporters what was happening.
Boston Police Crime Scene Response unit which collects evidence following major crimes arrived and two members of that unit took several brown paper bags, normally used to store evidence taken from the scene, into the building.
by FourthBase » Tue Apr 16, 2013 5:21 am
82_28 wrote:Shortly thereafter, the director of the JFK Library told the Dorchester Reporter, a local newspaper, that the damage onsite "was confined to a mechanical room near the archive section of the library" and the library's Twitter feed described the damage as a "fire":
Read Atlantic Monthly's take and updates here.
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national ... ary/64259/
by seemslikeadream » Tue Apr 16, 2013 5:54 am
Study: Americans fear terrorism attacks more than violent crime
By Shaun Waterman-The Washington Times Monday, April 15, 2013
Americans think more frequently about the possibility of a terrorist attack against the U.S. than they do about the much more likely prospect that they will fall victim to violent crime or be hospitalized, according to a study released Monday by the University of Maryland.
A report published by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism at the university reveals that about 15 percent of those surveyed had thought about the prospect of terrorism in the United States during the preceding week, significantly more than those who thought about the possibility of hospitalization (10 percent) or violent crime victimization (10 percent).
“Improved understanding of public attitudes can inform programs and tools related to managing public risk perception, increasing effectiveness of pre- and post-event communication by federal, state and local officials, and building and supporting more resilient social networks within and across communities,” report co-author Gary LaFree said.
A large majority of respondents said the U.S. government has been very effective (33 percent) or somewhat effective (54 percent) at preventing terrorism, despite the fact that 69 percent endorsed the view that “terrorists will always find a way to carry out major attacks no matter what the U.S. government does.”
The survey also found that clear majorities of respondents were willing to meet with local police or officials from the Department of Homeland Security to discuss terrorism, data that suggest community outreach programs may be a viable strategy for countering violent extremism in the United States.
The study’s research indicates increased government support for public outreach efforts and community-engagement programs could be beneficial.
Fifty-six percent of respondents had not heard anything about Homeland Security’s “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign, while 85 percent of those who had heard something about the program thought it would be very or somewhat effective.
The campaign is designed to raise public awareness of indicators of terrorism and terrorism-related crime, and to emphasize the importance of reporting suspicious activity to the proper local law enforcement authorities.
The survey asked roughly 60 questions of a statistically weighted sample of 1,576 American adults, who completed it between Sept. 28 and Oct. 12. No margin of error was given.
NRA Uses Right-Wing Media's False Trigger Talking Point To Undermine Gun Safety Ad
Blog ››› April 15, 2013 2:00 PM EDT ››› MATT GERTZ
The National Rifle Association has released a new video that attempts to rebut a TV ad calling for stronger gun laws by pushing a false claim about that ad that originated in the right-wing media.
In March, several conservative media outlets including Fox News highlighted Washington Times senior opinion editor Emily Miller's claim that ads released by Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) to promote expanding the background check system featured a man using unsafe gun handling. In particular, Miller and the right-wing media falsely claimed that the man's finger was on the trigger of the firearm.
The NRA used the same claims to undermine the ad in their own web video released April 15. According to the ad's narrator, "every gun owner watching probably noticed... the finger dangerously close to the trigger." The narrator suggests that this is not "responsible firearms handling."
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
Site design by Likely Arts based on "Deluxe" by Artodia.
