In the realm of ambulance safety, industry leaders often cite the examples of Europe--its smaller designs, tighter configurations and higher force thresholds keep providers there safer, experts say, than their counterparts in our roomier rigs this side of the pond.

That makes RETTmobil, the premier European mobile-rescue conference and trade show, of special interest to those seeking safety improvements here. Again this year, the EMS Safety Foundation is leading a delegation of North American providers and industry pros to witness the advances in equipment and vehicles on display in the German town of Fulda, with an eye toward what might best be brought back to domestic jurisdictions.

You won't have to wait to find out. Over the next four days, EMSResponder will bring you live reports on what's happening at the show and with the Foundation team from delegation member Blair Bigham, a prehospital investigator at Rescu, the prominent Canadian resuscitation science program. These will appear daily this week. For more on the Foundation's activities, including its planned online events, see its website. Next year's RETTmobil will be May 11-13. For more: www.rettmobil.org.

Tuesday, May 4: Live from RETTMobil!

Gute nacht! After hours of travel by plane and train, I have arrived in the small German 'ville of Fulda, host of the largest conference on emergency transportation in Europe. Tomorrow the events begin--and I'll be bringing you all the latest gadgets, innovations and science that relate to ambulance transport. From patient-lifting solutions to reducing ambulance collisions, each evening in Germany (six hours ahead of my bedside clock in Ontario, nine ahead of North America's west coast) I will be forwarding updates to appear the next morning on EMSResponder.

Today, a delegation of North American and international EMS transport experts met over schnitzel and biere to bond. From ambulance manufacturers to automotive engineers to paramedics to researchers to physicians and ergonomists, experts passionate about improving the safety of ambulances in North America are scanning the European scene for innovative ideas. Brought together by leader and visionary Dr. Nadine Levick, research director of the EMS Safety Foundation, this team hopes to conduct research on important and feasible innovations in the areas of:

• Physical design and engineering;
• Policy and procedure;
• Behavior and culture.