Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 June 2012
History of “Disaster Resuscitology.” The late Rudolf Frey, Professor of Anesthesiology at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, West Germany (see pages VIII-X), founded the “Club of Mainz” in September 1976, following initiating discussions with Peter Safar at the “International Symposium on Mobile Intensive Care and Advanced Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Delivery Systems” in September 1973 in Mainz (1), and the drafting of objectives and plans with the founding members in 1976 in Geneva and Mainz. Throughout the initiating discussions, Safar stressed the following: Presently active national and international disaster relief organizations are public health oriented. In mass disasters, such as major earthquakes, these organizations have been rendering effective aid to uninjured survivors, usually starting one day or later after the disaster event.