What Leading the Papal Visit Taught Me About Real Emergency Management, Preparedness, Logistics, and Everything in Between

I didn’t know it at the time, but when I was handed the responsibility of preparing Philadelphia for Pope Francis’ 2015 visit, I was stepping into one of the most challenging and rewarding moments of my career in emergency management. I’d spent more than eight years working in public safety and emergency management in Philly, so I was experienced in managing large events. This, however, was on a completely different level. We were preparing for millions of people. The entire city center would be transformed. It was an operational Rubik’s Cube, and it was my job to help solve it.

A Different Kind of Event, A Different Kind of Challenge

From the beginning, we knew this wouldn’t be like hosting a parade or a music festival. The World Meeting of Families was designated a National Special Security Event (NSSE), meaning the Secret Service took the lead on security. But while they focused on protecting the Pope, our job in the city was to figure out everything else.

We started nearly 18 months out, forming a planning team with stakeholders from every city department, agency, and partner organization. It was too complex to think of the city as one whole; instead, we broke Philadelphia down into four operational quadrants. That structure helped us coordinate across neighborhoods and better manage logistics during the event.

People usually think of emergency management as sirens and EOCs—and sure, we had those too—but surprisingly, the biggest challenges we faced were the sometimes less obvious essential services such as trash collection.

It sounds minor, but it really wasn’t. These were not flexible systems. This required careful coordination of municipal and private waste companies, the workers’ union, their very specific rules, and the city. We had to shift trash collection patterns well in advance and in phases. Pushing back trash collection, one hour at a time, until it occurred in the middle of the night. One of the key lessons I learned early on is that if you don’t build those small logistical changes into the timeline, they’ll become big problems later. And yes, even the routes of the trash trucks had to be mapped and modeled in advance.

Real People, Real Needs

As the event drew closer, the scale of individual needs became very real. I personally answered calls from concerned residents on a daily basis. One moment I remember vividly: a pregnant woman called, worried she wouldn’t be able to get to her hospital because of the secure perimeter. She wasn’t alone—many Philadelphians had questions about dialysis, oxygen tanks, medications, and access to services.

Each morning, I’d sit down with a list of these calls and respond one by one. This wasn’t just a big event—it was personal. These were our neighbors, our communities. If we couldn’t answer these questions promptly and confidently, we weren’t doing our job.

Maps, Models, and Manholes

One of our biggest assets in planning and preparedness was our reliance on GIS. From modeling crowd capacity, mapping venues and secured zones, to tracking and monitoring public transportation. However, we encountered a big challenge: we had to map and cover all manholes in the secure footprint—an enormous task involving multiple city departments, but with some coordination, determination, and a lot of coffee, we got it done.

Transit was a whole other can of worms. We had to work with SEPTA to create entirely new, streamlined routes, temporarily stopping service in certain areas entirely. This decision garnered some pushback, but it was an innovative approach to moving the most people to and from the event.

Graphic depicting side-by-side transit maps showing how we collaborated with SEPTA to simplify a complex regional rail system during the 2015 Papal Visit, streamlining movement and enhancing crowd control.

The Moment Before

I’ll never forget the day before the Pope arrived. We had finished the last briefings, the final plans were in place, and the city was on lockdown. I walked down the empty streets with the mayor, deputy mayor, and members of the press team.

The wonderful city of Philadelphia—usually noisy and full of life—was entirely silent. It was eerie. And honestly? Beautiful. We had done everything we could.

What I Learned

Special events are not emergencies. But they do give us unique opportunities to prepare, coordinate, build relationships, and think creatively. All these lessons can be applied during gray sky days.

People often ask me what I’d do differently. The truth is that the insane operational cadence we established, the working groups we structured, and the consistent rhythm of communication—that’s what made this operation work.

Preparedness is not just about planning for an event. It’s about building an ecosystem where everyone knows their role and is empowered to complete it to the utmost quality and efficiency. It’s trash pickup and transit rerouting. It’s building shelters for support staff. It’s answering phone calls from concerned residents. It’s about putting the people and the community first—always.

So, during National Preparedness Month, I hope we can look beyond the checklists and PSAs and reflect on the real work of preparedness.

Because when the Pope comes to town, or a hurricane hits, or a crisis unfolds in your backyard, your partnerships are your lifeline. If you don’t have them in place, you’ll feel it fast. And if you do, the quiet moment before the storm will tell you everything you need to know: we’re ready.

Meet me at NEMA’s 2025 Annual Forum

If you’re heading to Cheyenne for NEMA 2025, let me know! If you’re interested in discussing emergency management, preparedness, logistics, and everything in between, reach out to me on LinkedIn and let me know!

Join BES at IAEM 2025 – Booth #236

BES is proud to be a top-tier Driving Partner at IAEM 2025 and to be hosting this year’s President Reception. Come stop by Booth #236, and see how we’re transforming emergency management with real-time data, smarter logistics, and operational and technical alignment.

About Samantha Phillips

Samantha has nearly 20 years of experience in crisis management. She previously served with the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management, rising through the ranks from Planner to Deputy Director, culminating in her appointment as Director. She led the city’s response to dozens of crises, including the Amtrak 188 derailment, Hurricane Irene, and Tropical Storm Lee. She also led the city’s coordination efforts for the 2015 Papal visit and the 2016 Democratic National Convention. In 2019, she was appointed to serve as the Director of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, where she oversaw the Commonwealth’s response to various emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic.