As I drove into town on Congress Street this morning, I noticed the road was lined with bright American flags.

Were they there last week, or am I just seeing everything with fresh eyes?

Our offices are based in Portland, Maine, and pretty much everyone around here had co-workers and loved ones attending the festivities in Boston yesterday, myself included.

When I hear about communication problems, emergency response and chaos, I often think of emergencies on fishing boats.

The reports out of Boston yesterday are excellent. Emergency response teams as well as locals were helpful and relatively calm in the face of a horrific attack. There were 23,000 people in Boston simply to run the marathon. That says nothing of the people who streamed in to see the traditional Patriots' Day Red Sox game at Fenway or the families who come in droves, because many New England schools are closed this week for spring break.

In light of the potential for utter chaos (T stops closed, no knowing if or when there would be another explosive device, tens of thousands of extra people in your city, including many children), Boston held it together.

Some of that can be chalked up to drills, training and tactical response measures. And some of it is truly the triumph of the human spirit.

Fishermen generally have spirit to spare, in my experience. But there's no such thing as too much training.

In honor of those who made a difference in Boston yesterday, do a drill or three. Do it for your loved ones if not for yourself and your crew. Get home safely.