[Disaster medical response concerns us all].

The flood disaster in the region of the Oder and Elbe Rivers or the disaster in Eschede, Kaprun, or Ramstein make us aware that disasters not only occur in distant regions of the world but also in our latitudes. They do not follow any rules; no one can predict the location, time, or type of a disaster. However, this lack of concrete predictability should not lead to our being unprepared to respond to catastrophic events. Detailed examination and analysis of medical and organizational activities involved in past disasters reveal that these types of incidents always entail similar medical and logistic consequences. Dealing with disasters necessitates cooperation between numerous organizations and people. This requires clearly structured facilities for information, communication, and decision making as well as a well-defined process flow. In addition to basic planning and practicing of these processes for medical management of catastrophes-such as searching for and rescuing victims, triage, performing life-saving emergency procedures, definitive medical treatment, and transfer of patients-establishing structures for disaster preparedness is indispensable to meet the demands of mass cases of ill or wounded individuals.