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magidI woke up to the sound of conversation outside my window. Not the passing conversation of passersby, but of people standing. I heard "street closed," and started to wonder if I'd be able to get my car out, depending on which street it was.
I looked out the window, and Cambridge Street was closed off in both directions, two guys from the city traffic department maintaining the blockade. I went out to ask was was going on, and heard that some terrorist types had been chased from Logan to east Cambridge, between First and Second Streets, where they'd detonated a couple of bombs. First and Second Streets were closed off, as was this stretch of Cambridge Street by Cambridge Hospital, to allow for ambulances and decontamination and so on.
At least, that's the story behind the drill.
I walked to Inman, to be able to see what was set up for this disaster drill, and saw two decontamination tents, both long archways of yellow plastic with a black exoskeleton that looked like advanced Tinkertoys, just outside the hospital. There were ambulances, fire trucks, other emergency vehicles and personnel. Many were dressed in their regular gear, but those in the decon area had white bodysuits, bright orange rubber boots duct taped to the suits, and whole-head gear including gas masks, which made me nostalgic for my long-lost gas mask.
It all seemed rather calm, all things considered, not any shouting or rushing or anything. The traffic guys outside my house complained that the bus drivers never seemed to know about these drills, and would try to drive right on through.
I hope they learn what they need to from it. (And we get a little more information in case of an actual emergency.)
eta, 1650 It's Operation Poseidon, which included reacting to dirty bombs at the Cambridgeside Galleria, and an attack on the natural gas plant in Everett.
edit 2, 9/18/06, 1300 Today's Globe has a preliminary follow-up.
I looked out the window, and Cambridge Street was closed off in both directions, two guys from the city traffic department maintaining the blockade. I went out to ask was was going on, and heard that some terrorist types had been chased from Logan to east Cambridge, between First and Second Streets, where they'd detonated a couple of bombs. First and Second Streets were closed off, as was this stretch of Cambridge Street by Cambridge Hospital, to allow for ambulances and decontamination and so on.
At least, that's the story behind the drill.
I walked to Inman, to be able to see what was set up for this disaster drill, and saw two decontamination tents, both long archways of yellow plastic with a black exoskeleton that looked like advanced Tinkertoys, just outside the hospital. There were ambulances, fire trucks, other emergency vehicles and personnel. Many were dressed in their regular gear, but those in the decon area had white bodysuits, bright orange rubber boots duct taped to the suits, and whole-head gear including gas masks, which made me nostalgic for my long-lost gas mask.
It all seemed rather calm, all things considered, not any shouting or rushing or anything. The traffic guys outside my house complained that the bus drivers never seemed to know about these drills, and would try to drive right on through.
I hope they learn what they need to from it. (And we get a little more information in case of an actual emergency.)
eta, 1650 It's Operation Poseidon, which included reacting to dirty bombs at the Cambridgeside Galleria, and an attack on the natural gas plant in Everett.
edit 2, 9/18/06, 1300 Today's Globe has a preliminary follow-up.
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no subject
Date: 2006-09-17 01:25 pm (UTC)Glad that they seem prepared and sorry that it woke you up.
no subject
Date: 2006-09-17 01:30 pm (UTC)Yeah, they did seem fairly prepared (though without fake hurt bodies and such, it's not really so clear how well they'd manage).
Just one of the advantages of living on a busy street...
no subject
Date: 2006-09-18 01:14 pm (UTC)http://1smootshort.blogspot.com/2006/08/eeka-to-fall-victim-to-fake-bombing.html
I had, however, not recalled having read this, and was already searching for news on a Boston-area bombing, before paging down and revealing your third paragraph.
I'm surprised you and other hospital neighbors weren't alerted in advance like the mall neighbors were.
no subject
Date: 2006-09-18 03:29 pm (UTC)I don't know why we weren't notified. Perhaps the street closure wasn't enough inconvenience to bother mentioning? (People were able to get cars out.)
no subject
Date: 2006-09-17 01:54 pm (UTC)Sounds interesting and I hope it didn't foobar your day too badly.
no subject
Date: 2006-09-17 08:47 pm (UTC)Didn't foobar my day at all, actually.