National Emergency Response Information System Launched to Modernize Incident Data Collection for American Fire Departments

COLUMBIA, MD (Nov. 4, 2024) — The National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS) launched today to modernize 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, optimize resources, and measurably reduce risk in an ever-changing environment.

Key benefits of NERIS Version 1 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 of the Fire Safety Research Institute (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, U.S. Fire Administrator, emphasized 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 U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), the U.S. 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 Program Page.

About Fire Safety Research Institute

The Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), part of UL Research Institutes, advances fire safety knowledge to address the world’s unresolved fire safety risks and emerging dangers. As part of UL Research Institutes, we are committed to sharing our fire safety insights with everyone to advance UL’s public safety mission of providing safe living and working environments for people everywhere. Through advanced fire science, rigorous research, extensive outreach and education in collaboration with our international network of partners, we impart stakeholders with the information, tools and resources that enable them to make better, more fire-safe decisions that ultimately save lives and property.

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