ABSTRACT
The goal for the Society has been to promote developments within the field of disaster medicine by stimulating international exchange and scientific analysis of experiences in order to increase the efficiency of medical relief activities during major accidents and disasters. A very important part of disaster medicine is education and training. A large part of the first meeting in the Society in Geneva 1976 was devoted to education, which also was the major topic in the second meeting 1978. Education and training are not merely important, but essential for disaster services. Good planning and equipment may be of little or no use if the staff has not received appropriate instruction in the function of the organisation or use of the equipment. In addition to lectures and literature, education and training in disaster medicine requires practical exercises and/or disaster simulations to teach adjustment of the mode of action from normal medical care to very different situations.
