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The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system response to a multiple victim disaster can be preplanned to identify various components, such as scene authority, communications, triage, vehicular staging, and point-of-entry of patients to area hospitals. On 1/23/82, a DC-10 airplane carrying 210 people, slid off the runway while landing at night on ice at Boston's Logan airport. The plane broke into two pieces after it slid into Boston Harbor; 33 patients required definitive medical management and were transported to 7 area hospitals. The Boston EMS system, coordinated through one Resource Trauma Center, utilizing a central communications center, was responsible for the medical component. Hospital categorization on-scene triage, patient staging, patient transportation and regionalization of resources have changed the City's plan to reflect new EMS developments.On January 23, 1982, Boston experienced the final stages of a winter storm that began with snow followed by freezing rain. A plane with 198 passengers and 12 crew members was the last plane scheduled to land before the runway was closed for plowing and sanding. The DC-10 landed and slid off the runway into Boston Harbor. The plowing and sanding crew that was scheduled to service the runway was in position, and therefore witnessed the incident and confirmed the crash.