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as medical director. That October day, temperatures steadily
climbed from the 70s to the upper 80s, causing more medical
issues than normal. As the heat and humidity took their toll,
race organizers made the unprecedented decision to cancel the
event mid-race. Challenged to communicate this news, event
organizers used police helicopters and more than 800 police
officers stationed along the course to inform participants.
“Retrospectively, the critics now agree that we did the right
thing,” Chiampas says. “Our event and city agencies were pushed
to handle a mass situation and, overwhelmingly, we did a
tremendous job. I feel what and how Chicago dealt with it at the
time, and also what we’ve put in place since, has transformed
not only race medicine, but also large-scale events in general.”
Today, the marathon employs a flag system to signal course
conditions, and runners receive regular e-mails on race safety and
training before the event. A new electronic patient tracking system
allows volunteers to offer better information for families looking
for participants receiving medical attention. Additionally, event
officials and leads from the medical team, city, and police and fire
departments meet throughout the year to discuss emergency
action planning, ensuring a unified front if called into action.
These changes have made the Chicago Marathon one of the
safest mass sporting events in the world, Chiampas says,
adding that he shares safety insights with the medical directors
for the World Marathon Majors — Berlin, Boston, Chicago,
London, New York, and the newest addition, Tokyo — who meet
regularly to discuss best practices, most recently at the 2012
Summer Olympics in London.
Dr. Chiampas has also written about how the safety and
emergency response systems used at the marathon can help
government officials design their community disaster
response programs. In a 2011 report for the American Medical
Association’s Journal of Disaster Preparedness, he contends that
major mass sporting events provide an opportunity to test and
develop best practices for such occurrences.
“In reality the marathon is a planned disaster,” the ER doctor
explains. “With 45,000 runners, we know a two percent minimum
will require some medical care in a span of five to seven
hours. Our work shields the EMS and hospitals from being
overwhelmed, and helps protect a city which still has to function.
It tests the hospitals, EMS, and preparedness for
communication, for weather, and, unfortunately, for terrorists. It
is very difficult to practice this or even try to simulate these
events; the marathon provides a perfect opportunity to learn.”
In fact, the City of Chicago has used these lessons to prepare
for the 2012 NATO summit, Barack Obama’s election night, and
Lollapalooza, a huge, annual three-day concert.
A Chicagoan born and raised, Dr. Chiampas feels a sense of
pride in having had such a positive impact on the city he loves.
Reflecting on the marathon, he shares these final thoughts: “For
me, our volunteers and their commitment to the well-being of
runners and spectators define the human spirit of the marathon.
Sometimes I think of the lives we touch and just feel grateful
that I get to be a part of it.”
ward rounds Fall/Winter 2012 — p.13