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7 February 2025
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National Emergency Response Information System launched to modernise incident data collection for American fire departments
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The National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS) launched on 4 November 2024 to modernise incident data collection and provide vital intelligence for local fire departments across the United States. NERIS is a secure, cloud-based platform developed in collaboration with the American fire service to capture all-hazards incident data and provides analytic tools for local fire and emergency service leaders in near-real time.
NERIS Version 1 will provide fire and EMS departments and first responders with more accurate and actionable post-incident information to better address community needs, support critical decision-making and improve overall public safety.
The launch of NERIS is the culmination of years of collaboration between Government, the local fire and emergency services and non-governmental partners, designed to help approximately 27 000 fire and EMS departments navigate an evolving risk environment. With emerging threats like lithium-ion batteries, wildland-urban interface fires and extreme weather conditions, NERIS will provide departments with the modern data tools they need to reduce risk and respond more effectively to these complex hazards.
Following a successful beta testing period with more than 60 fire departments, NERIS Version 1 will onboard an additional 105 departments through the end of 2024. Starting in January 2025, NERIS will begin a 12-month nationwide rollout for all local fire and EMS departments. NERIS will ultimately replace the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) as the primary reporting tool and source of incident data for fire and EMS departments of all sizes across the United States.
The new system is designed to meet the evolving needs of the fire service by enhancing the quality, reliability and timeliness of data collected from emergency responders while making it easier for firefighters to use. NERIS is offered at no cost to local fire and EMS departments, empowering fire service leaders to make data-informed decisions that support more effective deployment, optimise resources, and measurably reduce risk in an ever-changing environment.
Key features
Key benefits of V1 NERIS include:
Dr Steve Kerber, Vice President and Executive Director and FSRI, noted the significance of the new platform, "NERIS represents a new era for the fire service. It will put actionable data in the hands of our firefighters, giving them the tools to better protect their communities and use resources more effectively."
Dr Lori Moore-Merrell, US Fire Administrator, emphasised how NERIS will drive future fire service efforts, "NERIS is about finally understanding our fire problem and shaping the future of our fire response. By providing our departments with meaningful access to more accurate near real-time data; it will set the foundation for innovations that will transform how we protect our communities for many years to come."
NERIS was developed through a research and development collaboration between the Fire Safety Research Institute, the US Fire Administration (USFA), the US Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T), and the broader American fire and EMS service.
NERIS will replace the legacy data system known as the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). Legacy NFIRS will remain operational throughout calendar year 2025 as a transition period and will be sunset in early 2026. All fire and emergency services departments should continue to use the current NFIRS data system and maintain the status quo until they are fully onboarded and submitting incident data into NERIS.
To learn more about NERIS, visit FSRI's NERIS Programme Page: https://fsri.org/programs/neris
Source: The Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI)
NERIS Version 1 will provide fire and EMS departments and first responders with more accurate and actionable post-incident information to better address community needs, support critical decision-making and improve overall public safety.
The launch of NERIS is the culmination of years of collaboration between Government, the local fire and emergency services and non-governmental partners, designed to help approximately 27 000 fire and EMS departments navigate an evolving risk environment. With emerging threats like lithium-ion batteries, wildland-urban interface fires and extreme weather conditions, NERIS will provide departments with the modern data tools they need to reduce risk and respond more effectively to these complex hazards.
Following a successful beta testing period with more than 60 fire departments, NERIS Version 1 will onboard an additional 105 departments through the end of 2024. Starting in January 2025, NERIS will begin a 12-month nationwide rollout for all local fire and EMS departments. NERIS will ultimately replace the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) as the primary reporting tool and source of incident data for fire and EMS departments of all sizes across the United States.
The new system is designed to meet the evolving needs of the fire service by enhancing the quality, reliability and timeliness of data collected from emergency responders while making it easier for firefighters to use. NERIS is offered at no cost to local fire and EMS departments, empowering fire service leaders to make data-informed decisions that support more effective deployment, optimise resources, and measurably reduce risk in an ever-changing environment.
Key features
- Enhanced data integration capabilities and significant computing power that reduce the burden on data contributors.
- User-defined, actionable analytic tools that support intelligence-led decision-making at the local level.
- Rapid integration and analysis of data from multiple sources, including computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems, geographic information systems (GIS), physical and field sensors, and records management systems (RMS).
- Bi-directional application programming interfaces (APIs) that allow integration with other relevant systems and data services.
- Flexibility and adaptability to meet the evolving needs of local fire services and first responders nationwide.
Key benefits of V1 NERIS include:
- Telling the department's story: Using data to inform and advocate for appropriate staffing, equipment and support by demonstrating need through a better and more complete understanding of emergency response involving all hazard types.
- Resource allocation: In addition to helping departments make informed decisions about where to place key resources like apparatus, personnel and local fire stations, NERIS will also achieve a better understanding of the extent of mutual and automatic aid use and reliance among departments.
- Understanding risks: NERIS will allow us to establish a shared understanding of risks at the first due and community level, consistently on a nationwide basis. It will also serve as the platform to monitor and measure actions taken by local communities in mitigating and reducing risks.
- Performance review: Evaluating response performance and resource distribution to continually measure and improve services through a data-informed understanding of performance gaps and improvement opportunities.
Dr Steve Kerber, Vice President and Executive Director and FSRI, noted the significance of the new platform, "NERIS represents a new era for the fire service. It will put actionable data in the hands of our firefighters, giving them the tools to better protect their communities and use resources more effectively."
Dr Lori Moore-Merrell, US Fire Administrator, emphasised how NERIS will drive future fire service efforts, "NERIS is about finally understanding our fire problem and shaping the future of our fire response. By providing our departments with meaningful access to more accurate near real-time data; it will set the foundation for innovations that will transform how we protect our communities for many years to come."
NERIS was developed through a research and development collaboration between the Fire Safety Research Institute, the US Fire Administration (USFA), the US Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T), and the broader American fire and EMS service.
NERIS will replace the legacy data system known as the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). Legacy NFIRS will remain operational throughout calendar year 2025 as a transition period and will be sunset in early 2026. All fire and emergency services departments should continue to use the current NFIRS data system and maintain the status quo until they are fully onboarded and submitting incident data into NERIS.
To learn more about NERIS, visit FSRI's NERIS Programme Page: https://fsri.org/programs/neris
Source: The Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI)