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Firestorm® | The Boston Marathon Bombings THE BOSTON MARATHON BOMBINGS 4/17/2013 Firestorm® Expert Analysis Copyright 2013, Firestorm® | www.firestorm.com | (800) 321-2219

Transcript of The Boston Marathon Bombings - Firestorm · Firestorm® | The Boston Marathon Bombings The Boston...

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Firestorm® | The Boston Marathon Bombings

THE BOSTON

MARATHON

BOMBINGS

4/17/2013 Firestorm® Expert Analysis

Copyright 2013, Firestorm® | www.firestorm.com | (800) 321-2219

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Firestorm® | The Boston Marathon Bombings

This document is a compilation of analysis and

preparedness strategies by Firestorm Principals and

members of the Firestorm Expert Council™ in

response to the tragic bombings at the 2013 Boston

Marathon. During the preparation of this document,

a massive explosion occurred on 4/17/2013 in

West, Texas at the West Fertilizer Plant. "Homes

have been destroyed," Waco Police Sgt. William

Patrick Swanton said. "There are homes flattened.

Part of that community is gone."

Firestorm feels more strongly than ever that personal

and business preparedness is crucial. We also wish to

express our sincere condolences to those who have

experienced such great loss in these tragedies.

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Contents

INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 3

CONTRIBUTORS ......................................................................................................... 4

THE BOSTON MARATHON BOMBINGS ........................................................................ 8

Facts to Date ..................................................................................................................... 8

IMPACTS TO TRAVEL AND BUSINESS.......................................................................... 12

The London Marathon.................................................................................................. 13

JIM SATTERFIELD ON PERSONAL PREACTION™ PLANNING ......................................... 14

On Travel and Increased Security................................................................................. 14

Meeting Places ............................................................................................................. 14

HARRY RHULEN ON COPYCAT AWARENESS ............................................................... 15

4 Types of Copycat Criminals ....................................................................................... 15

What can we do? .......................................................................................................... 17

DON DONAHUE ON MEDICAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE ............................................... 17

Exemplary Response .................................................................................................... 17

“Freeze Frame” Memory .............................................................................................. 18

ANN SANCARTIER ON FAMILY ASSISTANCE SUPPORT PLANS ...................................... 18

Account for and Assist your employees ....................................................................... 19

Overall .......................................................................................................................... 20

ROCKY DELMONACO ON BOMB AND SECURITY AWARENESS ..................................... 21

If You See Something, Say Something™" ..................................................................... 21

IEDs ............................................................................................................................... 22

Cell Phones and Communication ................................................................................. 23

JIM SATTERFIELD ON BUSINESS AS UNUSUAL ............................................................ 24

Determine Your Critical Services & Functions .............................................................. 24

Preparedness and Resiliency are Brand Attributes ...................................................... 25

STAN POLIT AND KAREN MASULLO ON THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL & MERGED MEDIA .... 25

Crowdsourcing Crisis – a Caution ................................................................................. 26

On Crisis Commercialization ........................................................................................ 27

IN CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................ 30

Every Crisis is a Human Crisis ....................................................................................... 30

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The Boston Marathon Bombings A PP R O A C H E S T O P E R S O N A L S A F E T Y I N A C R I S I S E V E N T

INTRODUCTION Firestorm presents this paper as a response to the tragic effects of the Boston Marathon Bombings on

4/15/2013. Every crisis is a human crisis.

We designed this paper, along with members of our Expert Council™, to help businesses, individuals

and families create a crisis event response plan that is unique to their needs, and takes into

consideration the distinctive circumstance of large event and crowd crises.

If any part of this paper starts you thinking or prompts you to take some action, together we will have

accomplished a great deal.

Harry Rhulen, CEO, Firestorm

Jim Satterfield, President and COO, Firestorm

Suzy Loughlin, CAO, Firestorm

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CONTRIBUTORS Harry Rhulen on Copycat Awareness

Harry Rhulen, CEO - Harry Rhulen is the Chairman/CEO of Firestorm.

Mr. Rhulen, who spent the first eighteen years of his career in the

insurance industry, has been Chairman and CEO of a public insurance

holding company with United States and European operations.

Harry brings extensive experience in risk management, crisis

management, due diligence and business management to lead

Firestorm’s strategic planning initiatives.

Harry also has extensive due diligence experience, having participated

in over thirty M&A transactions. He has lead several public offerings raising in excess of $350 million.

As an insurance industry representative, serving on the board of the American Insurance Association,

he testified before Congress to expand the opportunities for financial service companies.

Harry has worked as a consultant in many industries, using his risk management, crisis management,

and business management skills, public company, legal, bankruptcy, and due diligence experience to

help his clients....Read his full bio on our website

Jim Satterfield on Family and Employee Preparedness

Jim Satterfield, COO, President - James (Jim) W. Satterfield is the

President/COO of Firestorm. Satterfield has experience as President,

CEO, and COO of various public and private companies in business

continuity, communications, crisis management, environmental,

insurance, reinsurance, risk management, and technology. Jim has

extensive expertise in the identification of vulnerabilities and risks

along with solution design.

Jim is a nationally recognized expert in the field of preparedness and crisis

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management, and has led in the development of national standards for pollution prevention, risk

management, and environmental due diligence. He has spoken to hundreds of groups on risk

management, crisis management, governance, and disaster planning...Read Jim’s full bio on our

website

Don Donahue on Medical Response in a Crisis Event

Dr. Donald Donahue JR., DHEd, MBA, FACHE, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret),

is as an Advisory Member to the American Academy of Disaster

Medicine www.aadm.us.

The American Academy of Disaster Medicine (AADM) is a unique

volunteer organization dedicated to promoting and educating

physicians and healthcare professionals concerning the critical

importance of disaster medicine preparedness.

AADM Advisory Members provide valuable recommendations, direction and guidance to the

leadership of the academy. AADM Advisory Members are distinguished leaders with interest,

knowledge and experience in disaster medicine and preparedness. Duties and responsibilities will

include working with the academy to identify areas of importance to the citizens of the United States

in effectively preparing physicians for future disasters. Don also coauthored the article “The All Needs

Approach to Emergency Response,” published in the Feb. 2012 issue of Homeland Security Affairs.

With more than 30 years experience as a healthcare administrator in the military, government and

private sectors, Dr. Donahue is a recognized expert in healthcare operations, medical readiness,

medical and dental readiness, emergency preparedness, and bioterrorism. He applies an innovative

approach to program development, operational analysis, and marketing solutions. Read Don’s full bio

on our website

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Ann SanCartier on Family Assistance Support Plans

Ann SanCartier is a Firestorm Expert Council member and the founder

of The Crisis Compass which provides crisis management consultation,

training, plan development and response support. Ann has unique

expertise and experience on managing the human side of a crisis with

organizational excellence and compassion.

Previously a crisis manager for a major international airline, she

developed and executed emergency response plans for aviation

accidents, mass casualties, operational continuity plans and man-made and natural disasters. Her

experience includes responses to aircraft accidents and incidents, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados

and operational disruptions. She is a national speaker on crisis management, family assistance and

grief and loss support.

Rocky DelMonaco on Bomb and Security Awareness

Rocco (Rocky) DelMonaco, Jr. served as Vice President for Georgetown

University’s Office of University Safety from 2007 through 2012. As Vice

President for University Safety, DelMonaco was responsible for the

strategy, planning and execution of all safety and security functions and

programs at the main campus, medical and law centers, and overseas

locations. Simultaneously, Rocco DelMonaco served as the Chief of

Police for the Georgetown University Department of Public Safety.

DelMonaco has more than 30 years of operational and managerial experience in domestic and

international law enforcement, intelligence, counter terrorism, protection and risk management. Prior

to Georgetown, DelMonaco served as an independent consultant and senior executive with ManTech

SMA, a large government contractor for law enforcement, counter terrorist training and homeland

security issues. He also served at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) where he oversaw

the integration of threat monitoring and strategic responses by DHS and other Federal agencies and

served as Special Agent in Charge of the liaison division of the Federal Air Marshal Service.

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He also held a variety of responsibilities during more than 20 years as a special agent in the U.S. Secret

Service…Read Rocky’s full bio on our website

Stan Polit on Crisis and Merged Media Response

Stan Polit is a nationally recognized speaker, communication coach, and

crisis communication scholar. As a three time collegiate national

champion public speaker, he has actively worked with universities and

organizations to improve the quality of their public communication

efforts.

Prior to serving on Firestorm’s Expert Council, Stan received a Masters

in Communication while working as a coach for George Mason

University’s competitive public speaking team. As a communication coach, his students reached 11

national and international final rounds and won two international championships. He also helped

advise and coordinate the creation of numerous community outreach and public speaking

empowerment initiatives.

As a researcher, Stan focuses on the ways organizations and their leaders can embrace audience-

centered messages to repair and rebuild images in the wake of a crisis. Read Stan’s full bio on

our website

Karen Masullo with Stan Polit on Crisis and Merged Media Response

Karen Masullo is EVP, Social Media for Firestorm Solutions, LLC. In

addition to serving as Firestorm Solution's own in-house social media

advisor, she also serves on the Firestorm Solutions Expert Council and

delivers social media strategy and policy services for Firestorm clients.

As a Human Resource and Talent Management Innovation

Technologist, with specific experience in social media marketing and

emerging technologies….Read Karen’s full bio on our website

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THE BOSTON MARATHON BOMBINGS

Facts to Date

4/19/2013: 8:50 PM: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is captured and taken into custody. Boston police soon announce via Twitter: CAPTURED!!! The hunt is over. The search is done. The terror is over. And justice has won. Suspect in custody."

10:35 a.m.: University of Massachusetts Dartmouth says it closed its campus and ordered an evacuation after confirming that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is registered there. The school says it closed the campus "out of an abundance of caution" as the search continued

MIT, Harvard and other local colleges cancel classes. 8:40 a.m.: A U.S. law enforcement official and the uncle of the suspects confirmed that the name of the

slain suspect is Tamerlan Tsarnaev, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's older brother. 6:45 a.m.: The surviving Boston bomb suspect is identified as 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who has

been living in Cambridge, Mass. 5:30 a.m. Friday: Gov. Deval Patrick suspends all public transit service on the MBTA system. 4:30 a.m. Friday: Massachusetts state and Boston police hold a short outdoor news briefing. They tell

people living in that section of eastern Watertown to shelter-in-place. 4 a.m. Friday: Boston Police and Cambridge Police Chief confirmed that the two men involved in the fatal

shooting of an MIT campus police officer, and a shootout-chase scene into Watertown were the same suspects believed to be involved in the Boston Marathon bombing.

The Middlesex County D.A. confirmed that Suspect #1 has died while Suspect #2 escaped.

4/18/2013 – FBI Releases video and images: Video may be viewed on our website at

http://www.firestorm.com/Blog/alert-explosions-rock-boston-marathon.html

More at: http://www.fbi.gov/bostonbombings

Submit tips to: https://bostonmarathontips.fbi.gov View all Suspect Images at http://www.fbi.gov/news/updates-on-investigation-into-multiple-

explosions-in-boston/photos

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On April 17, 2013, 2:50 p.m. EDT, the FBI released the below statement in response to several media

outlets reporting that an arrest had been made in the case:

No Arrest Made in Bombing Investigation

Contrary to widespread reporting, no arrest has been made in connection with the

Boston Marathon attack. Over the past day and a half, there have been a number of

press reports based on information from unofficial sources that has been inaccurate.

Since these stories often have unintended consequences, we ask the media,

particularly at this early stage of the investigation, to exercise caution and attempt to

verify information through appropriate official channels before reporting. FBI

This is an ongoing investigation. Any persons with information on the bombings including video or

images no matter how small are being urged to call Boston authorities at 1-800-494-TIPS. Those with

information may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), prompt #3 "No piece of

information or detail too small.”

On 4/15/2013, two bombs exploded

about 10 seconds and 100 yards apart

at about 2:50 p.m. in Boston's Copley

Square, near the finish line of the

Boston Marathon. An 8-year-old boy,

a 29-year-old woman and a Boston

University graduate student from

China were killed, and more than 170

were injured. The explosions occurred

four hours into the race and two

hours after the winners had crossed

the finish line, but thousands of runners were still on the course.

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According to the official briefing on the investigation, the first of the two bombs to explode was placed

on the ground on Boylston Street, across from finish-line viewing stands where dignitaries had been

sitting earlier; the second bag was placed on the ground about 75 to 100 yards away, outside the

Forum restaurant at 755 Boylston St.

The bombs consisted of explosives put in common 1.6-gallon pressure cookers, one containing shards

of metal and ball bearings, the other packed with nails, according to a person close to the investigation

who spoke to various media outlets on condition of anonymity. Both bombs were stuffed into duffel

bags, the person said.

Investigators found pieces of black nylon from a bag or

backpack and fragments of BBs and nails, possibly contained in

a pressure cooker, an FBI agent says. An intelligence bulletin

issued to law enforcement and obtained by the AP includes a

picture of a mangled pressure cooker and a torn black bag that

the FBI says were part of one of the bombs.

One image, submitted to media by a person at the event,

shows an abandoned bag placed next to a mailbox at the

scene, just prior to the first explosion.

Richard DesLauriers, FBI agent in charge in Boston, confirmed

at a press conference that investigators had found pieces of

black nylon from a bag or backpack and fragments of BBs and

nails, possibly contained in a pressure cooker. He said the items were sent to the FBI laboratory at

Quantico, Va., for analysis.

DesLauriers urged anyone who may have seen someone carrying a heavy black bag near the scene of

the explosion to come forward.

It remained unclear if the bombs were the work of a homegrown or foreign threat, but in Washington,

both President Obama and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel called the attack terrorism.

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“Any time bombs are used to target innocent civilians, it is an act of terror,” President

Obama said Tuesday morning.

Authorities also recovered a piece of circuit board that they believe was part of one of the explosive

devices, and also found the lid of a pressure cooker that apparently was catapulted onto the roof of a

nearby building, an official said Wednesday.

Dr. Peter Burke, chief of trauma services at Boston Medical Center, said Wednesday 19 patients (six

males and 13 females) are being treated at the facility. Seven people had amputations and two remain

in critical condition, including a five-year-old boy. He said there will be eight 'reoperations' at the

hospital. One or two patients may be released later today. He credited Boston EMS and first

responders for limiting the loss of life.

He said beside amputations, doctors have been treating lung injuries, likely caused from the force of

the explosion or impact on the ground.

"The major (injuries) ones that were life-treating were tissue injuries and vascular

injuries," Dr. Burke said.

Tufts Medical Center said it treated 14 patients, seven of whom have been discharged. None of the

patients are listed in critical condition. The hospital said it did not have any amputations nor does it

expect any in the future.

Eight-year-old, Martin Richard, who was waiting for his father to finish the race, is among those dead.

The boy's 6-year-old sister lost a leg in the attack and his mother suffered a brain injury.

Krystle Campbell, of Medford, Mass., 29, was also killed in the blast. Her father said she had gone with

her best friend to take a picture of the friend's boyfriend crossing the finish line.

The Shenyang Evening News, a state-run Chinese newspaper, identified the third victim as Lu Lingzi.

She was a graduate student at Boston University.

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IMPACTS TO TRAVEL AND BUSINESS As of 4/17/2013, Amtrak trains in and out of Boston were operating, and Logan International Airport

was running a normal schedule.

Some airlines and hotels are waiving fees for Boston trips.

Major public gatherings have been canceled or postponed. Security has been tightened significantly,

and the crime scene around Copley Square, a major focus for tourism, will likely be off-limits for

several days, authorities say.

"That area is pretty much going to be locked down," Gov. Deval Patrick said at a press

conference Monday night. "It's not going to be easy, simple, or regular. And, I think, in

most cases, people are not going to have access to that area."

The closed-off zone is nearly a mile long and three blocks across, spanning the length of Boylston

between Berkeley Street and Massachusetts Avenue and on either side of Boylston from Newbury

Street to Huntington Avenue.

Workers and visitors will not be allowed access, and Boston.com reports that exit 22 off the

Massachusetts Turnpike, which feeds into Copley Square, will remain closed to traffic on Tuesday.

Boston Public Library in Copley Square, the Shops at the Prudential Center, the Copley Place mall, and

the Hynes Convention Center will be closed, as will the Boston Common garage, although drivers will

be allowed to retrieve their parked cars.

Boston Common will remain a staging area for law enforcement officials, and while mass transit

resumes today, Copley Station is still closed and riders should expect delays and increased security,

including bag checks, officials say.

Both the 212-room Lenox Hotel and the 148-room Mandarin Oriental Boston, which are about a half-

block and one block west of the finish line, respectively, were evacuated and closed by the Boston

Police Department until further notice, reports Travel Weekly, and the Fairmont Copley Plaza, about a

block and a half east of the explosions, is open only to guests and hotel employees. Copyright 2013, Firestorm® | www.firestorm.com | (800) 321-2219

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Boston.com has set up a Google Doc for visitors who need a place to stay, and several lodging services,

including Airbnb and HomeAway.com, are waiving fees and/or encouraging hosts to offer rooms free

of charge, reports PropertyPortalWatch.com.

The London Marathon

The London marathon in its 33rd year is the world's largest and attracts more than 37,000 runners and

crowds of up to 500,000 each year as it snakes its way through the British capital's most famous

landmarks, finishing outside the gates of Buckingham Palace.

The London race's chief executive Nick Bitel said the Boston blasts were a sad day for athletes and ''our

friends'' in marathon running.

"Our immediate thoughts are with the people there and their families. It is a very sad

day for athletics and for our friends and colleagues in marathon running," Mr Bitel

said.

''Our security plan is developed jointly with the Metropolitan Police and we were in

contact with them as soon as we heard the news,'' Mr Bitel said.

Mr Bitel continued: ''We will not be cancelling, what we are doing we're reviewing. You look at what

has occurred, if there are steps we can take to increase security and all sorts of measures one could

deploy. We run through the city, when you have an event of this nature, a marathon, a parade, it's only

as safe as the city itself, if it's not held in a stadium you can't do a lockdown like you may do in a

building.''

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JIM SATTERFIELD ON PERSONAL PREACTION™ PLANNING First, develop a Personal Preaction™ Plan. What is a Personal Preaction™ Plan?

As detailed in the Firestorm Publication, Disaster Ready People for a Disaster Ready America, when you

“react” you may behave thoughtlessly and irrationally, often making things worse.

When you “preact” you take time to think clearly, process possibilities, options and contingencies and

develop a plan that enables you to perform well in an emergency.

You control your own disaster preparedness. No one is more interested in protecting you and your

family than you are, and more importantly, only you and your family truly understand your particular

situation.

By incorporating the best tactics and strategies and then tailoring them to your needs, a customized

plan will emerge to give you an upper hand in most crisis situations. This plan is what we refer to as a

Personal Preaction™ Plan.

On Travel and Increased Security

Authorities, particularly in major cities, are operating on heightened alert.

There has been a rash of suspicious package reports. Downtown Seattle was closed due to a backpack

abandoned on a sidewalk while New York City Police Department fielded 77 reports of suspicious

packages in less than 24 hours following Monday's attack.

In a situation such as this, all travelers should expect a higher level of alert and security regardless of

mode of travel.

Venues for events of all types – for concerts, sporting events, conventions, etc. will increase security.

Anticipate delays and plan for extra time. Cooperate with law enforcement and their representatives

in a calm and organized manner.

Meeting Places

Identify where you and your family will meet after any event. If at a public venue or large, outside

event, select a specific spot to meet up should your party become separated.

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Should the party become separated due to individual activities, and the agreed-upon meeting place is

off-limits due to security closure, identify a secondary location beforehand as the secondary meeting

spot, and assure everyone in your party knows how to get to the location.

If your primary meeting place is destroyed, or access to it is cut off, plan to meet at this secondary, pre-

arranged location. Often community centers or schools themselves are “designated evacuation

centers.” If you are unable to identify such centers in your area, contact your local Red Cross for

assistance.

To determine the best secondary meeting place for you and your family, consider patterns of

movement, routines, schedules, times of year, etc. for each family member. Take into account what

options each person may have if:

They have no personal means of transportation

They depend on public transportation and it is out of commission

The secondary meeting place is inaccessible; does a third alternative exist?

NOTE: As with all meeting places, make sure everyone is clear on how they are going to get to each

one. If you have a car, drive to your meeting places a few times. Since you may not have a car during

an emergency you should walk to each location at least once. (Your perspective and observations are

different from the comfort of a car than they are on foot.) Notice landmarks and how they might guide

you if street lights or roads are out. While landmarks are easy reference points, make note of their

relationship to other things because landmarks may be destroyed or otherwise unrecognizable.

HARRY RHULEN ON COPYCAT AWARENESS

4 Types of Copycat Criminals

In 1984, scholars S.E. Pease and C.T. Love identified four different types of copycat criminals:

Mode copiers, who hone their actions based on media reports;

Group copiers, who act in concert with each other;

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Mentally ill or deficient copiers; and terrorists or threateners, who want to stoke fear. Incidents such as this most recent tragedy may bring out threateners.

As an example and in light of the Boston Marathon Bombings, the appearance of suspicious mail sent

to President Barack Obama, and others to Sen. Carl Levin, Michigan and Sen. Roger Wicker, Mississippi

does raise concern.

The issue of copycat violence is one which is well-known. After any significant event, there tend to be

additional acts which are perpetrated by individuals who for one reason or another are motivated by

the event. This is one of the reasons that the Secret Service is very tightlipped about any attempt on

the President's life, or any threats which are intercepted before the perpetrator has an opportunity to

act out.

Copycat violence is not necessarily violence which mimics the events which occurred. In some ways the

term "copycat" is misleading. In reality the term is usually used to refer to violence which is motivated

in some way by the previous event. Unfortunately, what we are seeing in today's society is a

tremendous increase in copycat violence. This is most likely a result of the instantaneous and

continuous media coverage which these events receive.

The shootings in Sandy Hook and the subsequent discussion of gun control have been in the news,

nonstop, since the event. This has motivated a spate of copycat violence hereto for unseen. There have

been more school shooting and violence events in the first three years of this decade than would

normally occur in a ten year period. Firestorm attributes this increase to the continuous bombardment

of media which everyone receives. No longer is it the nightly news that delivers the message, but

instantaneous news, pictures and videos via smartphone, computer, tablet, satellite radio, television,

radio, newspaper, etc.

The tremendous amount of information which is delivered to every individual on a daily basis will only

increase. Firestorm believes that it is a “new normal” that everyone will receive instant and constant

information about disasters. For stable individuals who have the ability to filter this information, this

may not represent a problem. For the mentally ill, or those who already have a predisposition to

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violence, this could be a serious problem. They are motivated to act, and through this bombardment of

information, receive constant reinforcement.

What can we do?

Is extraordinarily important that after a major violence event - until the issue has died down in the

media - that everyone and every organization have a higher level of vigilance.

The issue of reporting becomes paramount. People must understand that if they see something, it is

their obligation to say something. Every company, school and organization must have an anonymous

reporting process as part of their overall planning to ensure that their people have a methodology by

which to report anything that they see.

These programs must be implemented, trained and tested on a regular basis. Invariably, someone

knew something or saw something before every major event occurred.

DON DONAHUE ON MEDICAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE The days following a tragedy are filled with answer-seeking; an often fruitless and frustrating process,

particularly when senseless violence takes the lives of children or innocent bystanders. On April 15th,

2013, an iconic and festive day in Boston was irrevocably marked by an act of vicious violence. It was

also characterized by the best of our nation and culture.

Runners and spectators from 90 nations were in Boston, enjoying the free and open society that both

permitted the gathering but also allowed an act of unspeakable malice.

Exemplary Response

Immediately following that act, the response was exemplary. First responders and on-site medical

assets reacted immediately to save lives and prevent further injury.

Emergency departments geared up to treat an influx of patients – a mass casualty event in healthcare

parlance. This was not so exceptional. This is what we train to do. What is notable was the response

of the various volunteers and spectators.

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When the celebratory circle of the finish line area was shattered by two explosions, ordinary people

tended to the needs of others. Photographs of the ensuing chaos show guidance, first aid, and comfort

being delivered not only by public safety and medical staff, but also by average citizens.

“Freeze Frame” Memory

Commenting on the event, MSNBC journalist Mike Barnicle observed that those at the site of the

explosions will forever have a “freeze frame” memory of the unspeakable carnage – a sight no one

should ever endure but even more so for the children involved. Barnicle also cited, however, that

these witnesses will also forever carry the memory of people helping others when most needed;

people rushing into a danger zone to assist strangers is the essence of our humanity.

It is also a reminder that disaster can lurk around the next corner. Preparedness is not an option.

Taking a class in first aid, having a contact and reunification plan, and being aware of suspicious things

in our surroundings are, sadly, no longer activities for someone else. No one ever thinks they will be

victim to disaster, large or small. The Boston Marathon is a chilling reminder of the fallacy of this

belief.

ANN SANCARTIER ON FAMILY ASSISTANCE SUPPORT PLANS Every crisis is a human crisis.

Leadership must remember to follow the same course of action as they advise to their employees.

Following a crisis event:

As soon as possible, contact family and let them know your status. Connecting with a

support system during a crisis can help reduce anxiety.

Assure that visitors, vendors and others that may be unfamiliar with your building or

grounds are located and assisted as quickly as possible.

Encourage employees to put their Personal Preaction™ Plans in play. Take into

consideration any instructions on evacuations, traffic routes and rerouting.

Encourage employees to immediately contact loved ones. It gives them something to do

when the brain is in an adrenaline response and unable to think normally. This also reduces

incoming communication traffic to your organization so that you are better able to respond.

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Wait to post updates or status using social media. What is posted when an individual is in

shock may not be in their best interest, and in some situations, may put the individual and

others at risk.

Do document and save images or video taken before or after the event that may contain

information helpful to authorities.

Account for and Assist your employees

Accounting for all employees following a crisis event is critical. Implement your Employee

Check-in Plan.

If you have a family assistance support plan now is the time to assess the need and implement

it. Be prepared to do the following:

Set up a crisis call center with a specific number for people to call if they think they

know someone has been directly affected.

Activate your family assistance team, often called Care Team, members or critical

incident stress teams to work directly with those affected and their families.

Notify your Employee Assistance Program and work to create strategies and support as

needed.

If the need is great, establish a Family Assistance Center where you can better protect

those affected and meet their needs.

Assess the need for emergency medical services for employees, visitors or others as

appropriate.

As with the Boston Bombings, immediate response by persons at the scene saved lives.

If your company does not have a formal medical program, you may want to investigate

ways to provide medical and first-aid services.

Provide your employees with a written emergency medical procedure to minimize

confusion during an emergency.

If an infirmary, clinic, or hospital is not close to the crisis event, ensure that onsite

Coordinators have adequate training in first aid. Treatment of a serious injury should

begin within 3 to 4 minutes of an accident.

In the event that evacuation of the premises is necessary, some items may need to be

secured to prevent further detriment to the facility and personnel on hand (such as

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securing confidential/irreplaceable records, or shutting down equipment to prevent

release of hazardous materials).

Respond with compassion

Validate and acknowledge what employees are experiencing through the use of compassionate

crisis communication techniques. Avoid platitudes such as, “I know how you feel”. Instead, you

could say, “I can’t imagine how difficult this must be.”

Show practical support. Anticipate, identify and provide for any practical needs employees may

have. During the employee check-in phase, direct supervisors should be made aware of any

urgent needs. Then, assign and empower a Care Team to those who may have been seriously

impacted (e.g. injured; lost a loved one; was an eye-witness to the tragedy; encountered

significant damage to personal property).

Educate and communicate

Provide informational material. Educate your employees on common physical and psychological

responses to crisis. Your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can provide informational

brochures.

As appropriate, offer face-to-face support by a counselor that has training and experience in

dealing with trauma.

Offer group debriefings. When facilitated by a skilled professional and conducted with

homogeneous groups, these have proven to help validate feelings, reduce feelings of isolation

and aid in recovery. A vetted, free resource which can offer these is the International Crisis

Incident Stress Foundation (www.icisf.org).

Educate employees on other practical assistance you are able to give such as working remotely,

extended time off or a flexible scheduling.

Communicate to your employees often (at least daily) even when you don’t have “new”

information, especially during the height of a crisis. Letting them know next steps is helpful

during a confusing time.

Overall

Train and Drill: Staff must know what to do. A disaster preparedness and recovery plan should include

employee training. It should address general training for all employees, including:

Individual roles and responsibilities

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Information about threats, hazards, and protective actions

Notification, warning and communications procedures

Means for locating family members

Emergency response procedures

Evacuation, shelter, and accountability procedures

Location and use of common emergency equipment

Emergency shutdown procedures

Build emergency preparedness into the culture of the organization.

ROCKY DELMONACO ON BOMB AND SECURITY AWARENESS

If You See Something, Say Something™"

As stated earlier in this document by CEO Harry Rhulen:

“The issue of reporting becomes paramount. People must understand that if they see

something, it is their obligation to say something.”

As detailed on the DHS website, the nationwide "If You See Something, Say Something™" public

awareness campaign – is a simple and effective program 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 campaign was originally used by New

York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

If you see something suspicious taking place, report that behavior or activity to local law enforcement

or in the case of emergency call 9-1-1. Factors such as race, ethnicity, national origin, or religious

affiliation alone are not suspicious. For that reason, the public should report only suspicious behavior

and situations (e.g., an unattended backpack in a public place or someone trying to break into a

restricted area) rather than beliefs, thoughts, ideas, expressions, associations, or speech unrelated to

terrorism or other criminal activity. Only reports that document behavior reasonably indicative of

criminal activity related to terrorism will be shared with federal partners. Copyright 2013, Firestorm® | www.firestorm.com | (800) 321-2219

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IEDs

Give the above and the information that common household appliances – in this case a pressure

cooker - may have been used in the Boston Marathon attacks to create Improvised Explosive Devices

or IEDs, alertness and quick reaction to the discovery of such concealment devices in unusual locations

or circumstances can improve chances of early detection and prevention of an attack. Potential

indicators of a pressure cooker configured as an IED include:

Protruding wires or fuses.

Unusual smells such as chemical odors.

Wetness or unusual stains on a container.

Apparent abandonment of a pressure cooker in a high traffic or otherwise strategic location.

First reports of pressure cookers being used as bombs date back to the 1990s when Maoist rebels used

them during the Nepalese civil war that began in 1996.

During the early part of the last decade, pressure cooker devices were being used in the creation of

IEDs across Afghanistan and Pakistan - and were used with alarming frequency against coalition forces

in Afghanistan.

However, because pressure cookers are not as common in the United States as other developing

nations, the Department of Homeland Security issued a 2010 warning to report seeing any in public

places unattended. The 2010 warning was released several months after the failed May 2010 Times

Square bombing - which used one as part of its mechanism.

In 2011 U.S. Army Private Naser Jason Abdo was charged in plotting to set off a pressure cooker bomb

on Fort Hood, Texas. He reportedly learned how to construct the device from reading al Qaeda's online

magazine, Inspire.

As expected, authorities in New York and Washington tightened security precautions in the wake of

the blasts.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives sent all of its bomb technicians, explosives

officers, explosives specialists and canine officers from their Boston and New York field divisions to the

scene, as well as some investigators from Washington. Copyright 2013, Firestorm® | www.firestorm.com | (800) 321-2219

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The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Justice Department, Homeland Security Department and

other agencies are also lending assistance to the investigation.

Cell Phones and Communication

Is there a procedure for turning off a cell phone network during a crisis?

Yes. While cell towers are privately owned by telephone companies, they are licensed by the federal

government, which has the authority to silence them in an emergency. The National Communications

System, a subdivision of the Department of Homeland Security, established a protocol for emergency

interruptions in 2006, in the wake of a controversial shutdown in New York after the London subway

bombings.

The process can begin when a state authority, such as a governor, makes a shutdown request to state

homeland security advisers. These advisers, employees of an agency called the National Coordinating

Center, evaluate the request; if it seems valid, they contact the cell phone carriers, which must

temporarily dismantle the networks by shutting off their base stations.

On a smaller scale, local law enforcement agencies have access to devices that can jam signals over

specific areas and block target phones. They do not need consent from telecom companies to use

them. In this instance, Boston authorities requested there be no cell phone use immediately following

the attacks. Because cell services were quickly overwhelmed, many speculated that signal jamming

was used in Boston.

This presents a dilemma for law enforcement and the public, whose needs are at odds with each other:

While no individual wishes to do anything that may jeopardize safety or an investigation, locating and

notifying loved ones, and the thirst for immediate news and updates may take priority.

It is important then to remain focused one one’s evacuation plan, clear the area, reunite with family

and friends at a pre-arranged spot, and continue to the next safe location as possible.

Bottom line, every police chief and sheriff I know (I was one of them), always say “CALL in suspicious

incidents and packages!” We would rather have the call and find out it was “all-clear”, rather than put

people’s lives at risk.

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JIM SATTERFIELD ON BUSINESS AS UNUSUAL For many companies in the area of impact in Boston, entire blocks are closed and these businesses are

unable to conduct business as usual.

However, payrolls and bills must be paid, customers served, and deadlines met. For some companies

such as hotels and restaurants in the immediate area, a plan for re-opening is the first order of

business, but must by necessity wait upon official release of the area.

For others, re-working how, where and when business is conducted may be feasible. Companies such

as Regus specialize in workspace to use immediately when disruption occurs, with dedicated,

productive working environments. You can reach a Regus Workplace Recovery Advisor at 1-800-

OFFICES.

When planning for alternate work space in a crisis, first, analyze and know your organization.

Determine Your Critical Services & Functions: Answer the following questions to help craft your

recovery plan.

What are your organization’s functions and services? (what you do—in detail)

What staff is responsible for what functions?

Which functions and services are critical, and which are less so?

Conduct a client impact analysis: in the event of an interruption, what would be the impact on

your services to your clients? For example, if your organization delivers printing to clients, how

would you get deliverables to them should your facilities be inaccessible?

Whom do you serve? Who are your clients?

Where do you serve them? (on-site, at their business, at another organization’s facilities, etc.)

How do you serve them? What do you provide to your clients: information, food, medical care,

transportation, etc.

How are these services provided: via phone, fax, or internet, in person, etc.

What are your personnel requirements? (are services provided by staff, volunteers, etc.)

What are your equipment requirements? (cars, computers, etc.)

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How do your services impact the organization’s functioning? (For example, if fee-for-service is

crucial to your operations, what will happen if you cannot perform those services?)

Preparedness and Resiliency are Brand Attributes

In order to make contingency plans, differentiate your organization’s services. If, for example, a phone

system is needed to provide services to your clients, diversify your options with multiple providers. If

it’s your computer system or your website, this may be where you want to focus your resources.

How quickly do each of your services have to get back up and running? In other words, what is the

acceptable level of downtime?

Alternative Work Sites: Do you have a place for your staff to go should your offices become unusable?

Make arrangements with another organization such as Regus to set up an office, kitchen, classrooms or

whatever is needed in order to provide your services.

Alternatively, can you make arrangements for another organization to take over your services?

STAN POLIT AND KAREN MASULLO ON THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL &

MERGED MEDIA In recent years, social media tools and applications have played an increasing role in emergencies and

disasters. Social media sites rank as the fourth most popular source to access emergency information.

FEMA, The Red Cross, first responders and others now use social media to communicate a variety of

information, and planning is underway to explore further opportunities to leverage the tools.

Uses of Social media during a disaster may include:

to warn others of unsafe areas or situations

inform friends and family that someone is safe

to request aid or assistance

to follow warnings, watches and evacuations

to locate survivors

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We have seen great benefits from the use of social media, but great risks emerging as well.

Crowdsourcing Crisis – a Caution

Karen Masullo: As reported by major news outlets, an FBI source is quoted as saying:

“There is a "significant social media footprint" on the bombings that is providing new leads to

investigators. More than 30,000 social media messages were collected within a one-mile radius of the

finish line in the 48-hour period surrounding the explosions - with "Twitter and Facebook lighting up"

after the attack. Social media generated what are called link analysis charts - which showed "the

relationships between social media messages that met investigative criteria." Investigators are

especially interested in messages that seemed "out of place or coded."

The FBI and other law enforcement officials also turned to social channels this week, requesting that

anyone with information contact their hotlines. Social media was also heavily used the day of the

explosions to help locate friends and family members on the scene while cell phones were jammed or

overloaded.

Most notably, on the anonymous (and adult) discussion board 4Chan, users have posted hundreds of

images, isolating those they deem suspicious. This has driven a host of theories as to individuals

involved and motives, sparking controversial dialogue and accusations. Sadly, the very images that are

being leveraged by investigators, may be so widely distributed now, that rather than help the

investigation, they instead help and alert the perpetrators of these crimes. Additionally, innocent

bystanders may be marked as something they are not.

Social sharing goes beyond the individual device.

As detailed in an OP-ED for Mashable, “Boston Bombings: Truth, Justice and the Wild West of Social

Media” by Lance Ulanoff

“The web has begun to consume itself, gnawing on its own tail in search of comfort and

answers. Until authorities find the bastards who did this, it should be a harmless exercise. But

it’s not.

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As I write this, Reddit users are frantically trying to stamp out a fire they started. What seemed

like a good idea at the time — crowdsourcing an investigation of video and photo forensic

evidence — has spun out of control.”

“A recent post on the site gives you an idea of where things are:

“the two Males that the media have claimed the FBI are looking for are local guys and appear to

be innocent. PLEASE DO NOT POST ANY MORE ON THEM, ESPECIALLY LINKS TO NEWS SITES

THAT IDENTIFIES THEM.”

This is not to say that that were not many positives; YouTube contributed to the crowdsource idea, by

creating a dedicated channel for video uploads, allowing officials to more easily access user generated

content. YouTube's parent company Google also adapted its Person Finder tool to help in the

aftermath of the bombings. The tool is designed to help people reconnect with friends and loved ones

in the aftermath of natural and humanitarian disasters.

As with any tool, especially when used during or in the aftermath of a crisis, caution and maturity are

called for. As we have said in the past, social media has created millions of newsdesks of one. Do we

really now want to see millions of investigators of one?

On Crisis Commercialization

Stan Polit: When news of the bombing broke, I felt the same sense of shock, surprise, and anger

shared by so many across the

world. What a senseless and

tragic taking of human life. As

I attempted to learn more

about the situation, I found

myself increasing disturbed by

the decision of major media

outlets to not disable the

video ads preceding the live

streaming coverage. As I

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watched these ads, I could not help but feel a strong sense of cognitive dissonance. The image of a

happy couple planting flowers they just purchased seemed hauntingly at odds with the video of a

crime scene where dozens of people had been seriously injured.

One of the problems that these ads seem to highlight is the fact that crises are major commodities for

news outlets and websites. These periods are golden opportunities for news agencies to not only "sell"

their coverage as superior in quality, but also sell their ad space as superior in value. In other words,

one city's crisis quickly becomes another party's jackpot.

Karen Masullo: Along with the idea that crisis is a saleable commodity, it is regrettable, as with any

crisis or disaster event, that scams and scammers will use the event for profit maliciously. This has

been especially true of social media; given the rapid-fire nature of information sharing today, it doesn’t

take long for malicious or misinformation to go viral.

Fortunately, there are

those who are quick to

spot and call out the

fakes, and they have the

reputation and brand advocate numbers to help push corrections and real messages out.

We also observed that users and groups had changed the name of their Facebook pages and groups to

Boston-related titles, YouTube users included the words Boston, Marathon, and Bombings as keyword

tags and titles in newly upload video completely unrelated to the event, and domain names with the

same keywords in URLs were quickly purchased. One such site however,

http://bostonmarathonconspiracy.com/ displays this simple message: “PLEASE KEEP THE VICTIMS OF

THIS EVENT AND THEIR FAMILIES IN YOUR THOUGHTS THANK YOU”

The below information is provided for your situational awareness by the National Cybersecurity and

Communications Integration Center:

Individuals wasted no time registering domain names related to yesterday’s explosions at the

Boston Marathon. Some of the domains are likely to take advantage of those interested in

learning more details about the explosions. Others will likely target individuals looking to

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contribute to fundraising efforts. It is unclear what each registrants intent may be, but

historically, scammers, spammers and other malicious actors capitalize on major news events

by registering such domains.

In addition to fake domains, malicious actors may also create fake social media accounts with

similar intent. Twitter account @_BostonMarathon was created shortly after the explosions

took place. The account stated it would donate $1.00 for each retweet, and was crafted to

closely resemble the legitimate Boston Marathon Twitter account (@BostonMarathon). This

account has since been suspended by Twitter; however, the likelihood that similar social media

accounts will surface remains high.

NCCIC recommends that all persons looking to donate money in support of those affected by

yesterday’s events rely on official fundraising charities such as the American Red Cross. Exercise

caution when clicking on links or interacting with social media accounts that claim to represent

the best interests of those involved in this incident. Additionally, when searching for updates on

the story, it is safest to go directly to trusted news sources rather than conducting general

search engine queries.

Stan Polit: One person's crisis becomes another party's jackpot.

As I thought more about these ads in the context of the overall crisis, I kept going back to the question

of whether or not viewing a localized event as a international crisis is the most effective route towards

resilience and recovery. On one hand, we certainly see a proliferation of Facebook statuses and

Tweets devoted to the honor of the victims. But, the reality of the situation is that for most people the

bombing will not really change their lives in any substantive way.

Ironically, their lives will more closely resemble the normalcy depicted in the video ads, rather than the

intensity of the crisis.

Karen Masullo: As eloquently stated by Mark Blank-Settle, of the BBC College of Journalism, in a post

on his site:

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“There is human need to feel involved, concerned, part of the conversation. We all saw

those poor people, struggling across a finish line, only to be blown backwards by the

force of a truly shocking explosion. We all want to say “I’m the kind of person who is

appalled by this” but, in doing so, it can so sometimes come across as trite.”

Stan Polit: While the goal of crisis management is to localize harm, perhaps events like these do have

the benefit of showing us that the reason we come together as a nation and global community is

because there is no such thing as a "local" crisis.

Crises bring out the best in communities because they exhibit a world without boundaries. These

events bring people together in a way that allows them to recognize the collective power of the human

spirit. While there is some tension in wanting to localize the effects of a crisis and promote

compassion on a global scale, inevitably there is a great deal of human capital that can be mined from

our collective responsibility to help strangers in need. Compassion becomes the international language

of resilience and recovery.

Preparation is the tool.

IN CONCLUSION

Every Crisis is a Human Crisis

In today’s world, events such as these in Boston and Texas are not going to be exceptions. If you

haven’t put plans in place, outcomes will be worse.

Firestorm strongly recommends that you follow a PREDICT.PLAN.PERFORM.® approach to protecting your

family and your company. Please let us know if we can help.

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Firestorm® is a national leader in crisis management, vulnerability analysis/threat assessment, and

business continuity. Firestorm’s PREDICT.PLAN.PERFORM.® process leverages next-generation consulting

services, tools and software creating resilient organizations. We are the Crisis Coach™ for Crisis

Management, Critical Decision Support, Crisis Communications, Crisis Public Relations, and

Consequence Management.

Corporate office

1000 Holcomb Woods Parkway Suite 130

Roswell, GA USA 30076

(800) 321-2219

www.firestorm.com

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