Prehospital Medical Planning for the 2015 Philadelphia Papal Visit

In September 2015 Philadelphia hosted the World Meeting of Families, which culminated with a two day visit by Pope Francis. Emergency medical services (EMS) planning for the event was a complex process that involved the cooperation of municipal, state, and federal agencies, as well as many private organizations. Because the visit was designated as a National Security Special Event, Philadelphia had to balance the priorities of the United States Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies to keep the Pope and visitors safe with the medical needs of visitors and the ongoing needs of the city. Planning had to consider the impact of security on EMS operations, the anticipated crowd size and demographics, and how many patient encounters were likely. Other considerations were the weather, the number of additional medical providers and ambulances that would be needed for the event, where they would come from, and how these resources would be best deployed. The event had a regional impact, as the Pope visited several areas of the city and adjacent suburbs over his two day visit. Vehicular traffic and public transportation were heavily affected. Area hospitals increased their staffing in anticipation of higher patient censuses. This made it difficult to find sufficient volunteers in the immediate Philadelphia area to work at medical tents at the event venues. The city's extensive planning efforts, combined with some good luck, overcame these many challenges. The World Meeting of Families and Papal visit were viewed as a success for the attendees and the city. Philadelphia's experience may be beneficial for other cities hosting such events in the future.