Stuff You Should Know
Boston Strong
In the wake of the recent Boston marathon bombings, a national rallying cry of support known as “Boston Strong” has emerged. What followed has been a flurry of support. On Twitter, the hashtag #BostonStrong was a top trending topic. There are Facebook pages, ribbons, t-shirts, and more. In Boston, the professional ice hockey team, the Bruins, remained on the ice after their game on April 21, all of the players took off their jerseys and gave them to a group of emergency first responders.
Support has poured in from all over the country and the world. Moments of silence have been observed, as well as collections made toward aiding the victims.
What Do You Think? Have a discussion with your classmates about what you believe the best way to help the help the victims of the bombings. Research at least three organizations collecting donations. Which do you believe are the most effective? Why or why not?
All Hail the Helpers
If you have followed any of the media coverage of the Boston marathon bombings, you likely heard a lot about the importance of “first responders.” But who exactly are these people, where do they come from, and how do what they do? To clarify, there are two types of first responders. There are the people whose regular jobs are responding to emergency situation–like police, firefighters, and paramedics. Then there are those who are considered “certified first responders.” These people often have another profession but have been drawn into service in times of a large-scale medical emergency, such as the Boston marathon bombing.
The US Department of Transportation created the certified first responder as a way to bridge the gap between those who have basic First Aid certification as offered by the Red Cross (requiring 8 hours of training) and that of an EMT (180 hours). The scope of their skills consists of taking vitals (pulse, temperature, blood pressure), preforming CPR, controlling bleeding, immobilizing broken or fractured bones, unblocking airways, and sometimes, emergency childbirth. Some professionals who interact with the public daily (teachers, security guards, taxi drivers) are more likely to have such a certification.
Dig Deeper–Did you know that there are First Responder memorials all across the country? Do a Web search of the term “first responder memorial” to find out where they are located. Are there some near your hometown? How long has the memorial been there? Does it honor a particular group of emergency response personnel? Who was responsible for the meorial’s creation?
Blast in West Texas
Boston was not the only U.S. city to make the national news with a large-scale tragedy this month. On April 17, the West Chemical and Fertilizer Company in the small town of West, just north of Waco, Texas, caught fire and then exploded. The blast was so strong that it registered 2.1 on the Richter scale which is normally used to measure earthquakes. Fifteen people were killed and another 180 required treatment for their injuries. Roofs and walls on neighboring buildings and homes were blown off. An intense wave of pressure blew through the town, whose population is 2,700.
Because of the size of the explosion and the timing being so close to the bombing in Boston, the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives sent a team of twenty agents to investigate. What they found was that the plant hadn’t been subject to a federal inspection for twenty-eight years. In that inspection, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration found five very serious violations involving mishandling of chemicals and improper storage and issued a fine of only $30. In addition, the company was supposed to have been reauthorized in 2004 to be properly aligned to Texas state regulations but failed to do so.
Dig Deeper–Follow this story. See if you can find any stories on how other, similar, plants are reacting in response to this tragedy. What kinds of penalties can Adair Grain (owner of the fertilizer plant) be expected to receive? Do you think this is fair? Why or why not?
Earthquake in China
Recently a village in the Chinese region of Sichuan was damaged due to an earthquake.
Across the world, disaster struck once more last week. An earthquake ravaged a tiny village in southwest Sichuan region of China. The earthquake killed 188 people and injured an additional 11,000. Aftershocks could be felt as far away as Chengdu, one of the largest cities in China. The earthquake was less significant that one that hit in 2008 in the nearby area of Wenchuan. That event left nearly 90,000 people dead. The Chinese government was positively overwhelmed by those rescue efforts, and was criticized heavily afterward.
The latest earthquake, however, prompted better response. The People’s Liberation Army deployed around 7,000 soldiers with shovels and other supplies to help. There were so many people to help, in fact, that the government asked volunteers to stop showing up. Even with all of the help, there is still much devastation. Tens of thousands of people have been moved into tents or cars and are currently unable to return to their homes for fear of aftershocks. The Longmenshan fault line, which runs between the Tibetan Plateau and the Sichuan Basin, is responsible for both quakes, as well as ten others since 1900.