FAQ | Cheat Sheet | Specification | Incident Modules | Shared Modules | Type Values | Terminology
Reporting by Responserack Fire Department RMS.
| Term | Definition | Explainer / Examples |
|---|---|---|
| AES | Automatic Extinguishing System. | Sprinklers, Gaseous (e.g. CO2) Suppression, etc. |
| API | An ‘Application Programmer Interface’ allows a systems to interoperate and share information, e.g. a Fire RMS submitting an incident to the NERIS API. | The NERIS API allows remote systems, like Responserack, to file incidents with NERIS. |
| AVL | Automatic Vehicle Location. | In firefighting, AVL stands for Automatic Vehicle Location, a system that uses GPS and telecommunication to track and monitor the real-time location of vehicles, enhancing situational awareness and response capabilities. |
| BESS | Battery-based Energy Storage System. | Batteries, large and small. |
| CAAS | Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services. | |
| CAD | Computer Aided Dispatch. | The computer system your local dispatch center uses to record and dispatch. |
| Civilian | A person who is NOT a member of the fire service. | Occupant of the home or structure, passerby, victim. |
| CO | Carbon Monoxide. | |
| CPSE | Center for Public Safety Excellence. | CPSE is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation and is a primary resource for the fire and emergency profession to continuously improve services. |
| CSST | Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing - a modern solution for gas piping in structures. | CSST is used as an alternative to the older standard “black iron” (steel) gas pipe. |
| CVA | The medical term Cerebrovascular Accident is used interchangeable with ‘Stroke’. | |
| DOT | Department of Transport. | Often used in firefighter for the DOT hazard classification system. |
| emerghaz | An ‘emerging hazard’ is one that is newly occurring, perhaps due to modern advances/scenarios. | Electrical storage & generation are on the increase, and are deemed an emerging hazard. |
| Entity | Generally ‘a thing with distinct and independent existence’, in NERIS it is commonly a fire department, perhaps a Fire RMS. | Fire Department, Fire RMS (e.g. Responserack), and a few other components within the wider NERIS system. |
| ESS | Energy Storage System. | Lithium-ion and other Batteries (BESS), compressed air energy storage, and other storage systems. |
| FSRI | Fire Safety Research Institute. | Dedicated to addressing the world’s unresolved fire safety risks and emerging dangers. |
| GIS (Geo) | Geographic Information System. | Mapping information with “layers” (e.g. roads, land ownership, district boundary, etc.). |
| hazsit | A hazardous situation is any where people, property, or the environment are exposed to one or more hazards. | Motor Vehicle Accident, Hazmat Spill, etc. |
| ICS | The Incident Command System (ICS) is a standardized, on-scene, all-hazards incident management concept. | Command, Operations, Safety, and Staging are examples of ICS roles, even on the least complex incidents. |
| IDLH | Immediately Dangerous To Life or Health. | Extreme heat, cold, gases, poisons, etc. |
| IRWIN | Integrated Reporting of Wildfire Information. | |
| ISO rating | An ISO fire rating is a score provided to fire departments and insurance companies by the Insurance Services Office (ISO).The ISO ratings range from 1 to 10, with Class 1 representing superior public protection and Class 10 indicating no recognized protection. | 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) with ‘splits’ such as 5/X. |
| NEMSIS | National Emergency Medical Services Information System. | A national database that collects, stores, and shares emergency medical service (EMS) data. |
| NERIS | National Emergency Response Information System. | NERIS is the NFIRS replacement. |
| NERIS Data Exchange Compatible | National Emergency Response Information System - Data Exchange Compatible: an application that can interoperate with the NERIS API. | Responserack is NERIS Data Exchange Compatible. |
| NFIRS | National Fire Incident Reporting System. | Fire Reporting from the 1970s to 2025. |
| PIO | Public Information Officer. | The ICS role responsible for working with the community, e.g. through the media, social media, etc. |
| Polygon | A shape (three sides or more) that makes an area. In GIS, a contiguous parcel of land.Your district boundary (with all it’s twists and turns.). | A triangle, a square, and so on … various shapes. |
| Powergen | Power Generation. | Wind Turbines, Photovoltaics, Hydroelectric, etc. |
| PSAP | Public Safety Answering Point - 911 Center. | 911 Center / Dispatch Center (perhaps with CAD). |
| PV | Photovoltaics. | Solar Panels. |
| RMS (Fire RMS) | A Fire Department ‘Records Management System’ for tracking incidents / training / trucks and more, e.g. Responserack. | Responserack fire RMS is volunteer firefighter focused; simple yet powerful. |
| Suppression | In firefighting, ‘suppression’ refers to the act of extinguishing or controlling a fire. | This involves using various techniques and resources to stop the fire from spreading. |
| WGS84 | A mapping/GIS ‘projection’ of latitude/longitude onto the earth. | The projection that Google Maps, and many digital systems today, use. |
| WUI (Urban Interface) | Wildland Urban Interface. | The WUI is the zone where human-built environments meet or intermingle with wildland vegetation. Essentially, it’s where houses and communities are located near or within natural areas like forests, grasslands, or shrublands. |
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