People ran TOWARD the smoke.

[Demoiselle]

After the initial shock of the explosions, the video shows us people running toward the disaster...to help.
I will hold on to that image.

[kestrel91316]

1. I would have - I know enough anatomy to be of much more help in a traumatic amputation

than the average person, that's for sure.

[Demoiselle]

2. Good. I don't have any particular abilities but I think I would do what i could.

nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. I have done that, as a first responder

Me, take shots on the way in and then start helping the wounded.

I am a trained first responder. I fear my instincts and training would take over.

Suffice to say it, it's the shaking afterwards as the adrenalin goes away...

[4_TN_TITANS]

8. Former first responder/fireman here as well....

I could have helped, just too far away.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. This does it for me

Packing a first aid kit with the backpack I carry.

We have a kit in the Jeep, but...I need one on me.

[Honeycombe8]

4. But is that the right thing to do?

If you run toward the bomb, and another one goes off, even more people are hurt, compounding the devastation and people hurt, making it even harder on the care providers to care for the injured people.

The police and responders were on the scene in minutes.

Of course, if you're right next to someone who is hurt, my reaction would be to help. I wouldn't even think about it. It'd be an instinct thing.

[bluestate10]

6. People's natural instinct is to help. Most people help then think about their own safety later. nt

[Honeycombe8]

7. Not that runner who got knocked down by the explosion. Have you seen him on tv?

It's being shown over and over. When the explosion goes off, an elderly runner goes down. CNN found out who he is, and that he's okay. He was on CNN. What did HE do? He got up and finished the race! Can you believe it? He's 78 and has been in over 40 marathons. Pretty driven, I'd say. Can't believe he finished the race, while there was chaos and injured people all around him. Then he went home.

[npk]

5. A big THANK YOU to all the people who aided the injured today.

They no doubt saved dozens of lives.

[TrogL]

10. Who are your peers?

I get asked that in job interviews and performance evaluations.

When there is a problem, I consider my peers to be the people running towards it.

I've helped out at car wrecks and fires. I couldn't think of another response.

[Robb]

11. I was struck that the cameraman on the ground did, too.

About a half second passed, then he ran toward the explosion to film whatever was happening.

I admire a soldier's ability to do that, but infantry carry rifles. There's a special kind of person that runs toward explosions armed only with a camera.

[slackmaster]

12. There's a saying in the military - Army and Air Force run away from fires

Sailors and Marines run toward them.

[Demoiselle]

13. I've been thinking about your comment...

I have absolutely no military credentials at all...but it seems to me that the sensible thing to do is to run away from a fire...unless, of course, you're on a ship, in which case you'd better run toward it and do everything you can to put it out because if the ship keeps burning it'll sink and so will you. And since sailors and marines spend a lot of time on ships....well...um..
And as long as I'm here, just let me offer my thanks to everyone in the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines...

[seabeyond]

14. yes. they did. someone said something today and i reminded them, for every one, there is a zillion

to help.