BOSTON 2017 Conference & Expo B O S T O N : P U B L I C S A F E T Y A F T E R T H E M A R AT H O N B O M B I N G S Change of Course O n April 17, the day of the 121st Boston Marathon, an estimated one million people lined the 26.2 miles from the town of Hopkinton to downtown Boston to cheer on more than 30,000 runners. They had been told by police, event organizers, and emergency management officials to leave backpacks and over-the-shoulder bags at home. The same with coolers and suitcases. They were told not to carry anything that could hold more than a liter of liquid. Keeping an eye on the proceedings were an estimated 5,000 uniformed and plainclothes law enforcement officers 62 | NFPA JOURNAL * M A Y / J U N E 2 0 1 7 stationed along the route. A pair of drones operated by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) provided additional eyes over the race's starting area. Other public safety officials monitored an extensive web of closed-circuit video feeds along the course, especially in downtown Boston where the crowds were a dozen deep on sidewalks. Incident command facilities had been established in the event of an emergency. Safety officials had brainstormed potential disruptive events, terrorist and otherwise, and their agencies had rehearsed responses. GUTTER CREDIT How Boston's approach to emergency management and planning have adapted since the 2013 marathon bombings-and what other communities can learn from it. By Stephanie Schorow