Fighting forest fires is a tough job. But the task becomes even more daunting if firefighters aren't trained in the latest safety and rescue techniques. Until recently, attending a training session meant missing a day on the job. But the growing use of E-learning technology by firefighters, police, and emergency-medical personnel is helping to keep public-safety workers up to date without having to spend time away from the job.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is using E-learning software from Interwise to train its firefighters and emergency personnel on topics ranging from anthrax detection to firearm safety. It's a big change for the department, which had been using prerecorded videotapes for training, says Dale Eberhardt, division chief of training. The E-learning software makes use of clips from prerecorded training videos, but Eberhardt can couple them with audio and documents downloaded from the Internet to build an online class. Workers can access the class over the Internet, and the training material can be burned onto CD-ROMs and delivered to station houses that lack adequate Internet access.

Just-in-time E-learning came in handy when the department needed to train firefighters and police officers on respiratory protection in hazardous fire conditions. Every person sent into a hazardous environment must have a mask that's suitable for the hazard, Eberhardt says. "We have to be able to show that and go over the latest changes in the law," to stay compliant with regulatory procedures. It isn't easy to convey the same message when firefighters are scattered across 33 of California's 58 counties in which the forestry department operates.

E-learning technology lets firefighters stay up to date on a variety of topics, such as anthrax detection, without having to spend time away from the job.

E-learning also can help officers stay on top of new state and government regulations. The Montana Department of Justice is using the software to train officers without forcing them to spend a lot of time in a classroom when they should be on the street. The department is using E-learning software from Pathlore Inc. to certify and recertify law-enforcement officials to use the state's criminal justice information network. The system lets state agencies access criminal history records, driver's license data, and FBI files, says Karen Nelson, bureau chief of the Montana criminal justice information services bureau. All users have to be trained and certified to access data and must recertify every two years.

Certification courses are offered via the Pathlore learning-management system. The Montana department linked its Pathlore system with an Oracle database that contains employee-training records. When an employee has successfully completed a course, the information is automatically entered into the employee's training records. Says Jennifer Vietes, Montana criminal justice information services training and development specialist, "It's a way of making sure that everyone stays certified."