In the wake of the devastating Boston Marathon bombings, the city can at last breathe a sigh of relief, as the two men responsible were stopped by law enforcement. During the crisis, the city’s denizens saw first-hand just how expertly prepared law enforcement and emergency response teams were in responding to the attacks.
Within minutes of the two bombings, marathon staff and volunteers as well as police and firemen swarmed the affected areas near the explosions to assess the damage, secure the safety of bystanders and attend to those injured.
Bruce Hoffman, an expert in terrorism studies at Georgetown University, said Boston’s first responders rivaled the actions of those assisting victims of the London Tube bombings. That incident is widely heralded as a shining example of organization and execution in a disaster response involving mass casualties.
“At least from what we know about [Boston's efforts], it was even more organized than the response to the July 7th, 2005 bombings in London,” 
The incidents in Boston have also drawn the attention of everyone up and down the counter-terrorism chain. From Homeland Security to the FBI and the state’s own Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, many are praising Boston for its foresight in understanding the value of preparing for such events.
“Few cities could have been better prepared for the events of this week,” said Henry Grabar, a fellow at The Atlantic Cities.
In a interview with James Baker, the president of security consultancy Cytel Group said ”everything that you saw happen within seconds of the explosion was all because someone thought they should be prepared for that.”
While there are still details and strategies that will be discovered and analyzed about the Boston bombings, no doubt these shocking events have spurred other cities to take a look at their own emergency preparedness. One thing is certain: We will be hearing much more about what we all need to know in the event of a disaster, and experts will be looking to Boston for a playbook.