Minneapolis bridges falling down: Emergency transfusion preparedness

The 7/1/2007 bridge collapse into the Missisippi River was instructional from both a disaster response and a mass casualty transfusion response perspective. It is a well cited example of how community disaster response coordination can work well, especially following systematic preparation of an integrated response network. The blood center is and should be an integral part of this diaster response and should be included in drills where appropriate. We give personal perspectives on both the hospital and transfusion service response to this particularly dramatic event.