The Second World Congress on Emergency and Disaster Medicine was held on May 31–June 3,1981, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, under the auspices of the “Club of Mainz for Emergency and Disaster Medicine Worldwide.” The First World Congress organized by the Club of Mainz was held in Mainz, West Germany on September 30–October 3, 1977 (Chairman, Rudolf Frey), and the Third World Congress will be held in Rome, Italy on May 23–27, 1983 (Chairman, Corrado Manni). It is appropriate to report here on the World Congress in Pittsburgh, since the first four issues of this new Journal consist of edited papers and abstracts presented at that Congress.