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Medical Reserve Corps Teams Up with Community Partners to Support Public Health at FIFA World Cup Celebrations

The FIFA World Cup brought together thousands of athletes, spectators, and visitors from around the world, making coordinated preparedness and response essential. Across the United States, Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) units worked to support local and tribal public health and emergency response partners before and during World Cup events by providing trained volunteers, expanding medical surge capacity, and helping communities prepare for increased demands on healthcare and public safety resources.

The examples below highlight how the MRC units across the country strengthened local and tribal resilience while working alongside emergency management, public health, fire and EMS departments, healthcare organizations, and community partners. 

  1. Kansas City, MO: The Kansas MRC set up first aid stations at six park-and-ride locations surrounding the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO.

  2. Tacoma, WA: The Tacoma-Pierce County MRC supported the Puyallup Tribal Health Authority’s (PTHA) medical aid operations during two major cultural events associated with World Cup activities: the World Cup Pow Wow and the Stick Game Tournament. Volunteers were recruited to staff over 40 shifts.

  3. East Rutherford, NJ: The Hudson Regional Health Commission Medical Reserve Corps provided staffing to support a First Aid/Triage Tent at two Goya Presents Flag Cities 2026 events in celebration of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

  4. Philadelphia, PA: The Philadelphia MRC was requested by the Philadelphia Fire Department (PFD) to provide staffing support for the PFD medical tent at the 2026 Philadelphia FIFA Fan Fest at Lemon Hill. MRC volunteers completed Just-in-Time training and supported patient intake, triage, and first aid operations, with additional Philadelphia Department of Public Health staff on site.

  5. Brookline, MA: The Brookline MRC was on 24-hour standby during each of the seven FIFA matches held at Gillette Stadium near Boston, MA.

  6. Greater Fall River, MA: The City of Chelsea requested Greater Fall River Medical Reserve Corps volunteer to support standby medical coverage at a FIFA Fan Zone Watch Party. Volunteers were assigned to provide standby medical support and basic first aid, with bilingual volunteers requested to support attendees.

  7. Hampshire County, MA: The Hampshire County MRC volunteers provided basic first aid at FIFA Watch Parties at Millside Park, staffing a first aid table in partnership with the Easthampton Fire Department and Community Emergency Response Team to assist with minor medical emergencies and help keep EMS resources available for higher-acuity incidents.

  8. Dallas County, TX: The Dallas County Medical Reserve Corps took action to support several community events during the FIFA World Cup. These included planning and staffing cooling stations for a FIFA Fan Fest in the Dallas area, partnering with Dallas CERT and Dallas Fire and Rescue to support the events, distributing naloxone kits and providing overdose education to local businesses, such as hotels, expecting to see increased visitor traffic during the World Cup events, and developing communication plans. 

The Medical Reserve Corps demonstrates the strength of local volunteer networks when preparing for and supporting large-scale events. While each community’s approach reflects its unique needs, all efforts share a common goal: to strengthen local readiness, support response partners, and help to ensure residents and visitors have access to medical and public health assistance when it matters most.

Explore how MRC units across the country help communities respond to emergencies year-round. Whether you’re looking to volunteer, start an MRC unit, or learn more about the program, visit the MRC website to learn more.