At fire and EMS services across the nation, two things seem to be in short supply: time and money. Yet, even as departments come under pressure to trim already-tight budgets, demands on EMTs and paramedics to complete time-consuming refresher and continuing education courses hasn't let up. It's a burden shared by their employers, who are responsible for making sure EMS responders are properly trained and ready to deploy.

   For employers who provide the courses to their personnel, training costs associated with instructors, overtime and fuel costs are just some of their concerns. Another is scheduling classes for staff spread out geographically and working different shifts.

   Fortunately, there's an option other than face-to-face instruction to assist in getting the required courses completed in a timely, cost-efficient manner—one that doesn't necessitate having everyone drive to a classroom at a specific time. By harnessing the convenience and portability of the Internet, online learning delivers classroom materials to the workplace or home, saving both time and money.

   "Regardless of agency type or size, it's expensive to organize any kind of learning where delivery has to be in a classroom," says James N. Eastham, Jr., ScD, chief executive officer of CentreLearn Solutions, one of the largest providers of online learning for EMS. "You may have to pay overtime, facility charges and instructors. You may also have to teach the class multiple times to accommodate everyone. It's not very efficient. But a lot of these issues can be avoided by providing the class online."

   Recent research bears that out: According to a 2009 survey of about 400 EMS agencies conducted by RFG Research, which specializes in tracking trends in emergency response, EMS managers who have incorporated online learning into their training efforts overwhelmingly say it has helped reduce costs. About half of respondents said online learning led to a reduction in overtime at their agencies. More than half (52%) said online learning had reduced instructor costs, while about the same number said online learning resulted in decreased fuel costs.

   In the same report, researchers found that the number of overtime hours saved was substantial. Three-quarters of respondents reported savings of up to 500 hours a year. About 44% reported saving more than 500 hours, with some larger departments reporting savings of up to 10,000 hours.