What to Know About NERIS, The National Emergency Response Information System

NERIS is a new online system that that is replacing the NFIRS system that has been used for over 40 years to collect data about fires and other emergencies.  New York will be one of the first States in the nation to begin using the new user-friendly system.

The new system will have lots of improvements the fire service has been asking for including:

• Comprehensive Reporting: Moving from a single-category system to one that supports up to three incident types.  This will make it easier to account for the complexity of real-life scenarios that are often faced by the fire service.
• Easier Reporting: Firefighters will be able to simplify reporting by selecting incident types that accurately depict the scene and take the guesswork out of the single-category options in the old system.
• Hassle-Free Data Analytics: Chiefs and data analysts won’t have to interpret free-text narratives anymore. The data analytics are streamlined in the system.
• Data Entry Options: With NERIS, you will be able to enter data into the system in the field or in the office.
• New Response Metrics: Detailed information on rescues, casualties, and maydays will be captured in the system.
• Operational Data Capture: The system will capture information on suppression techniques, ventilation efforts, and on-scene contamination reduction tactics.

Cost

Access to the NERIS platform will be provided at no cost to verified fire departments, first responders, and emergency response teams.

In addition to fire department access, aggregated analytical views and API data services will be available at no cost to other authorized stakeholders, such as state and federal agencies, for research, analysis, and policy development. Overall, the aim is to make NERIS a comprehensive, secure, and accessible platform for all key stakeholders.

What Fire Departments Need to Know About Onboarding with NERIS

• Fire department Chiefs will be contacted directly by the NERIS team via email in May 2025 to begin the onboarding process, as the approval for an agency to onboard must come from that individual. Since the NERIS team will receive agency contact information from the New York State Office of Fire Prevention & Control (OFPC), it is imperative for agencies to ensure their demographic and contact information is current, accurate, and on file with OFPC. Should you need, the OFPC Fire Department Demographics form is availble here.
• Once a fire department Chief agrees to onboard, an agency System Administrator account will be created, from which other users from the agency may be added.
• Updated versions of NERIS will be released periodically based on user feedback and new technology developments.
• A checklist of actions your agency can take to prepare for onboarding with NERIS can be found here.

Fire Department Training on the NERIS System

• Training and education will be core to the NERIS rollout in 2025. There will be extensive training resources available, with online self-service training modules, video tutorials, as well as in-person training opportunities.
• Additionally, for ongoing updates, regularly check the NERIS events page and consider subscribing to the newsletter NERIS Ready – to subscribe visit https://fsri.org/programs/neris. USFA and FSRI also host national NERIS webinars periodically and be sure to catch NERIS presentations and briefings at various public forums and fire service conferences throughout the year.

NERIS Benefits for Fire Departments

• User Friendly: NERIS is fast and easy to use by members of your team without extensive training, so that more people can use it, and departments won’t need to wait for someone with specialized skills to enter information.
• Faster Data, Better Quality:  NERIS offers consistent and reliable data entries and timelier data access, reducing the lag between reporting and analysis.
• Comprehensive Data Coverage: By supporting state, local, territorial and tribal fire services, NERIS will ensure a more representative and comprehensive database.
• Maximized Utilization: Because it’s easier to use, more members of the fire service will be using NERIS. This will give all departments better tools for data-driven decision making.  
• Improving Measurable Outcomes from Incidents
• Streamlined & Enhanced Incident Data Model and Schemas:  New, streamlined incident data schemas that prioritize and standardize data captured by local fire departments, and align with data interoperability and exchange standards.
• Integration with 3^rd Party Systems: NERIS will allow relevant data to come from existing 3^rd party systems - such as computer-aided dispatch (CAD), records management systems (RMS), and GIS - through data services via application programming interfaces (APIs) from the most authoritative source. This approach is intended to minimize duplicative data entry and reduce data entry burdens on first responders. Plus, NERIS will integrate the best publicly available data to derive valuable insights.
• Faster Analysis: NERIS offers more current information and actionable analytic products, enabling emergency services to better understand incident trends in their community, their department’s capabilities and needs, and make data-informed decisions on resource allocation and planning.
• Incident Reporting for All hazards: In addition to detailed fire-related incidents, NERIS will encompass all hazards, offering a holistic view of future emergency needs and resource allocation.
• Advanced Analytics: The sophisticated data analysis tools will help emergency services identify trends, risk factors, and resource requirements in the future, for more informed decision-making and improved outcomes.
• User-Friendly Interface: The system offers an intuitive experience, streamlining data input, and information retrieval processes.
• Timely Insights: Up-to-date information on significant events, for quicker and more precise responses, helping minimize the potential impact of future incidents.
• Efficient Resource Allocation: By applying more accurate data, leaders can optimize resource deployment, ensuring that the right assistance is available and reaches the right places promptly.
• Mitigating Emerging Risks: The system will help identify rising threats from new technologies and highlight successful mitigation strategies, ensuring that emergency services stay ahead of evolving challenges.

Existing NFIRS System and Historical Data

The legacy NFIRS will remain operational throughout the transition process, so all fire and emergency services departments should continue to use the current NFIRS data system and maintain status quo until migrated to the new platform.

After NERIS is fully developed and available for use by fire departments nationwide, USFA’s legacy NFIRS system will be decommissioned. In the decommissioning process, historical NFIRS data will be archived in a data library that will be made publicly available. Note: Historical NFIRS data is openly available today for the years 1982 through 2021 for use by researchers and data analysts.

How NERIS Will Keep its Datasets Up to Date

The NERIS system is extremely agile and includes modular architecture and API integrations that allow for quick updates. A strong feedback mechanism is integrated to capture user needs, so that the system remains responsive to the changing dynamics of fire departments and EMS services.

Actions Departments Can Take to Prepare for NERIS

• Stay Informed: Regular updates will be provided via newsletter, website, webinars, and other public events. While awaiting the rollout of NERIS, maintain your existing incident data reporting protocols via NFIRS.
• Make Sure New CAD/RMS Purchases Will Work in the New System: If your department is considering purchasing a new CAD or RMS system, make certain it provides interoperable data services as APIs to allow for seamless integration with NERIS.

Access the System on your Tablet or Desktop

• NERIS is being designed with a mobile-first approach and will be compatible with various operating systems, any type of internet connection, various web browsers, and is fully accessible across multiple types of devices including desktop and laptop computers and tablets. While there is intent to make NERIS smartphone compatible, that feature and associated app do not currently exist. Once an agency onboards with NERIS, they will be able to access the database via a web browser while using a computer or tablet. More information regarding this topic is expected to be released from the NERIS team soon.

Individual Firefighters Can Input Information

The system is designed for easy data entry with a focus on a clean, intuitive, and mobile-friendly user experience.

To help minimize data entry by firefighters, NERIS will be able to consume data services from local CAD and RMS providers. For departments without CAD or RMS, the NERIS-provided data capture application will be available. The goal is to minimize duplicative data entry through seamless API data integrations from CAD and RMS providers and provide a simple and easy NERIS-provided data capture application.

Accessing and Using the Data in NERIS

Authorized users can directly access data in NERIS via tailored views and dashboards for their department. Your data will also be available as interoperable data services via APIs in multiple formats. This will allow you to perform advanced queries more easily, enabling easy integration with other software and systems you may use for analysis and reporting.

How the Data Will Be Used

The data is primarily used for analysis and research to reduce risks and improve response. It aids local, state, and federal agencies in understanding community risks and assessing the effectiveness of existing fire protection measures. The data also helps shape policies, educational programs, and resource allocation, and can be used to identify trends and risk factors for public awareness and policy action.

Collecting and Monitoring Occupational Exposure Data

NERIS will include an optional module for capturing a limited set of occupational exposure data. The system will collect exposure information at the incident level and encourage departments to monitor exposure at the individual responder level.

Data Definitions

NERIS has a complete data dictionary for all elements that will be collected plus related terms. Our goal is to use well-established definitions/standards that already exist.

Real-time Data

The data in NERIS will be available in ‘near-real-time’ where appropriate, a speed influenced by various technical factors such as system architecture, fire department participation, user verification, and data security protocols.

The goal is to create a system that delivers the most current, verified data as quickly as practical for fire departments, key stakeholders, relevant government agencies, and end users. It will be a large, quantifiable improvement over the historical performance of NFIRS. Faster data availability will be highly beneficial for analysis, decision-making, and improving emergency response outcomes.

Data Ownership Remains with the Fire Department

Individual fire departments retain ownership of their data. The system aggregates and analyzes the data, making it available to authorized users through customized views and APIs. While aggregated data views can be used for research and decision-making, the ownership remains with the individual departments.

Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) Interface Schema Incident Data Schema Status

The Entity Specification, CAD interface, and incident data schemas are currently in development. The beta versions of these three schemas were released in May 2024.

Updated versions of the schemas will be made available periodically, as well as additional schemas for future modules such as Investigations and Exposures. The public versions of the NERIS data schemas will help users understand how data elements align across different modules and will include all necessary element definitions, as well as API documentation and example payloads. Look for further updates throughout 2025.

New FDID Numbers for National Identification

The assignment of new NERIS Entity Identification (ID) numbers will occur through appropriate entity verification processes. For entities that are Fire Departments, issuance of a NERIS Entity ID will involve approval by the respective State Fire Authority.

Unlike the current state-level FDID numbers, these new IDs will offer unique identification for fire departments on a national scale. This change aims to prevent duplication and confusion, ensuring more accurate data collection.

New NERIS Entity ID Number Structure

The NERIS Entity ID is 10-digit alpha-numeric identifier for entities in the NERIS platform. The first two digits are letters which describe the entity type. Below are two examples:

• FD is a fire department that provides fire services and may or may not include EMS services
• FM is a fire marshal, which may be county, state, local, or tribal

The middle five numeric digits are a geographic identifier — the FIPS code for the headquarters location of the entity or organization. The last three numeric digits are randomly generated to ensure uniqueness and to support multiple entities of each type headquartered within the same FIPS code.

NERIS and AI  

There are future plans to incorporate relevant, validated machine learning and deep learning models within NERIS to provide the fire services with the more advanced, and actionable data analysis capabilities available.

For example - In the instance that not all fire departments report their incident data, machine learning models may be able provide more accurate estimations on the regional and national levels. Additionally, machine learning models for predictive analysis on fire risk and resource needs may be developed that factor in variables for population changes, urban structural development, forecasted climatic changes, amongst others.

Any AI model being considered for integration within NERIS will be carefully reviewed, tested, and validated. The exact timeline for when NERIS will integrate any AI model is to be determined and is part of the long term NERIS research and development roadmap.

Data Privacy and Storage  

Appropriate data protection and data security are top priorities in the technical architecture. The system will meet all relevant federal and state regulations for secure data handling. The NERIS platform will be hosted by in a secure environment in alignment with FedRAMP Moderate level security parameters.

Regarding privacy – NERIS will employ group security measures that limits access of personally identifiable information (PII) to only the data owners. A user cannot access another fire department’s data containing Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Aggregated data, data services as APIs, and data export/download services from NERIS will not contain PII.

NERIS will also follow industry best practices, such as NIST and FIPS standards, for data integrity and security. International compliance like GDPR will be addressed if relevant.

Local Community Risk Reduction Analysis

The data in NERIS will be integrated to enable local community risk reduction efforts, aiding in data-driven decision-making for resource allocation and planning.

Integrating NERIS with Existing Third-Party RMS and CAD Systems?

NERIS is engineered to consume data from existing, local CAD and RMS systems in use today.

Local fire departments interested in ensuring applicable data from their CAD and/or RMS provider automatically feeds to NERIS should talk with their providers. CAD and RMS providers are encouraged to review and use the most current versions of the NERIS Data Schemas (Entity Specification, CAD interface, and Incident Data schemas) to understand how data elements align across different modules and will include all necessary element definitions, as well as API documentation and example payloads. The beta versions of these three schemas were released in May 2024.

More details on CAD and RMS integration, as well as API documentation and guidance, will be provided as NERIS is developed.

NERIS and NEMSIS Reporting

NERIS will not affect National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) reporting. The team is working alongside NEMSIS during NERIS’s development to ensure that both systems can operate independently without causing issues in data reporting. This enables uninterrupted NEMSIS reporting while creating pathways for integrated data analysis.

NERIS and Federal Wildland Data from InFORM and IRWIN?

NERIS will crosswalk applicable Federal wildland data from the Interagency Fire Occurrence Reporting Modules (InFORM) and the Integrated Reporting of Wildland-Fire Information (IRWIN).

Other External Data Sources that NERIS will Integrate With

A multitude of relevant data is publicly and securely available that NERIS will leverage. This ranges from CAD and RMS data to data from entities such as the National Weather Service, National Interagency Fire Center, National Association of State Foresters, US Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Infrastructure Foundation Level Data, among other authoritative partners and sources.

How has the public been engaged in the development of the NERIS data schemas?

Community engagement and input on the development of the NERIS data schemas is paramount to success. As part of the development of the beta NERIS data schemas, a national webinar was conducted in December 2023 providing basic education on the draft data schemas and announcing the opening of a national engagement period. The national engagement period ran from December 16, 2023, through February 16, 2024, and was open to the general public. Nearly 1,400 unique comments and feedback points were received on the draft data schemas during the ~60-day period and were adjudicated as part of finalizing the beta versions of the NERIS data schemas.

Similar national engagement opportunities will be available as additional data schemas are developed, and in future revision & update cycles are conducted.

Timeline

The beta version of NERIS launched in August 2024 with 50 select fire departments onboarding. The full production version 1.0 of NERIS was released in the fall of 2024, with Phase 1 onboarding commencing in November 2024. Subsequent onboarding phases are planned for every few months with Phase 2 having started in February 2025.

Calendar Year 2025 will focus on onboarding all fire departments nationwide. During this time, some fire departments may continue to report to NFIRS while they complete NERIS onboarding. Starting January 1, 2026, all fire incident reporting will occur through NERIS exclusively, and the legacy NFIRS system will no longer be available for reporting incidents.

The goal is to make this transition as seamless as possible, offering a variety of resources and technical assistance throughout the process. While details are being finalized, we are committed to keeping you informed at every step.

NERIS is for Small and Large Departments

NERIS will be a flexible solution that anticipates and accommodates the specific challenges of fire departments of all sizes and types.

For larger departments, the system will be designed to manage high data volumes and offer seamless system integration with CAD and RMS. It will also address challenges related to interoperability and staff training.

For rural, combination, and volunteer departments, NERIS will be optimized for limited internet connectivity and will feature a data capture application accessible on mobile devices, tablets, and computers. The system will consider resource constraints and limited technical skills.

System Testing

The full production version 1.0 of NERIS underwent a rigorous 2-phase testing to identify and address performance issues and any potential defects and bugs. The prototype testing phase involves a limited number of participating departments to ensure the prototype system meets functionality and reliability standards. The aim is to refine the system based on real-world usage and feedback before it is made widely available.

NERIS Align with Existing State Reporting Laws

The information collected on fire and all-hazard incidents has been cross walked with reporting requirements in both Federal and state statutes to ensure alignment to the maximum extent possible. NERIS will fulfill the USFA's National Fire Data Center's obligation under the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-498) to mitigate the fire problem, reduce loss of life and property, and educate the public on fire prevention and protection, as well as effects of all hazards.

USFA's National Fire Data Center (NFDC) and NERIS?

The NFDC is not being replaced by NERIS. As with the legacy NFIRS, the NFDC will utilize NERIS's data and capabilities to enhance its national fire data analysis and reporting responsibilities.

NERIS Design Guidance

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) have convened two panels to offer specialized guidance for NERIS's development. The Technical Expert Panel (National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS) (fsri.org)) which possesses in-depth systems knowledge and an understanding of data requirements, focuses on the technical aspects. Simultaneously, the Senior Leadership Panel (NERIS Senior Leader Panel Forms to Steer the Future (fsri.org)) is comprised of experienced leaders from fire organizations, government agencies, and relevant authorities, provides strategic oversight and community engagement insights.

Have a question or need more information?

Please email [email protected].