What is USFA NERIS?

What is USFA’s NERIS?

The National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS) is a modernization and simplification of the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) for the United States Fire Administration (USFA).

NFIRS (the National Fire Incident Reporting System) originated in the 1970s and significantly out of date, unable to respond to modern needs. NERIS is both a modernization and a simplification of NFIRS, where less is required of the end firefighter. NERIS is reduced to the actionable data, and enhanced for emerging hazards (specifically electrical hazards.) Further, NERIS includes GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and integrates with other modern emergency response technologies (medical, wildland and more.) The goal of NERIS is to remove the NFIRS difficulties and significantly improving utility of real-time fire data.

NERIS aims to bring fire incident reporting to a whole new level for all involved; policy makers, researches, and firefighters.

How do I learn more about NERIS?

Check back here, we’ll be following its progress as it rolls out some in 2024, and more in 2025.

What is the difference between NERIS and NFIRS?

NERIS reporting is similar to NFIRS reporting (capturing information about fire incidents) that requires fewer fields, modules and no numbered codes. Further, incident information is taken from Dispatch (CAD) when possible, saving the repeated data entry by firefighters.

NERIS does contain roughly the same modules as NFIRS, but is definitely a refinement and simplification. It is focused on what is needed today, and integrates with other emergency reporting systems. Check out the Specification.

What is NERIS going to be like?

While the NERIS specification is currently being developed, check out a release of the NERIS specification. At a high level the specification is simplified NFIRS with some significant modernization, plus some GIS additions.

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Where can I find NERIS resources?

We are posting articles on NERIS for Volunteer Fire Departments here at Responserack.

If you want to go in depth, you can find more information on NERIS at both here USFA website, and on the FSRI website.