The U.S. fire service now has a modern, nationwide data collection system designed to capture the full scope of today’s all-hazards response – and IAFF affiliates have been at the center of its development and rollout.
The National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS) is more than a reporting upgrade. “Accurate, comprehensive data strengthens the IAFF’s ability to protect staffing, improve safety, and secure the resources members need,” Assistant to the General President for Health & Safety Sean DeCrane said.
NERIS will provide standardized data that documents workload and operational risk across all-hazards responses. That information can be used to support staffing models, evaluate deployment, strengthen grant applications, and inform safety policies at every level of government.
The new system replaces the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS), which was built on outdated code and incompatible with modern technology such as GIS mapping, making it more difficult to collect reliable, usable data.
The new cloud-based system was developed by the United States Fire Administration (USFA) in partnership with the Fire Safety Research Institute (part of the UL Research Institutes), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate, and the fire service at large.
Tom Jenkins of the UL Research Institute is a senior advisor on the NERIS development project. He previously served as a career fire fighter for over 26 years and as Rogers, Arkansas, fire chief for 15 years before retiring in 2023.
“What makes this new system great is that the data it captures is inclusive of all the things we do – from fires and HazMat incidents to emergency medical response,” Jenkins said. “The data generated will help tell each department when they need to advocate for more resources, help determine where those resources will be best served, and will show where the true risks are.”
The system’s effectiveness depends on comprehensive, standardized reporting to provide accurate insights, support data-informed decisions, and give a complete picture of the fire service’s work.
“It is critical that our members fill out the entire NERIS report,” DeCrane said. “Inaccurate or missing data will potentially negatively impact our staffing and funding because decision makers would be acting on incomplete or false information.”
The USFA began testing a prototype version of NERIS in March 2024 with six fire departments: Fairfax County Fire and Rescue (Virginia); Frisco Fire Department (Texas); Orange County Fire Authority (California); Springdale Fire Department (Arkansas); Upper Merion Township Fire & EMS Department (Pennsylvania); and West Metro Fire Rescue (Colorado).
These departments used the prototype to capture critical information following structure fires, hazardous materials incidents, emergency medical calls, and other responses. The system also provided basic, actionable analytics back to participating departments.
Steve Aseltine, a division chief with West Metro Fire Rescue and a member of West Metro Local 1309, was instrumental in onboarding NERIS for his department.
“The interface is designed to make it user-friendly. Data entry is more efficient, and the data is easier to access once it’s in the system,” Aseltine said. “With this data, you can see trends and determine what and where the real safety risks are, and whether a deployment structure is or isn’t working.”
In November 2024, the USFA launched NERIS Version 1 to 100 departments, which began entering data in January 2025. NERIS ran simultaneously with NFIRS until NFIRS was decommissioned a year later.
The period allowed the UL Research Institute to test whether the system could handle increased user volume and collect data on emerging threats like lithium-ion batteries and wildland-urban interface fires.
The Omaha (Nebraska) Fire Department was among the first 100 departments to use the system. Battalion Chief and Local 385 member Dave Thorson said the onboarding process was easy, with answers to most questions available on the NERIS website.
Now that Omaha has used the system for about a year, Thorson said he is impressed by the depth of data collected.
“NERIS gathers data, not just from the incident commander, but also from individual fire companies. This way, there is a clear picture of what occurred with each incident,” Thorson said. “Departments like ours can use this data to make informed decisions.”
UL Research Institute continues to make adjustments as departments report feedback.
“The great thing about NERIS is that we are able to make updates immediately, similar to the way apps are updated,” Jenkins said. “We are listening to the feedback and issuing a regular cadence of updates, which will eventually lead to NERIS Version 2.”
As of Jan. 1, 2026, NERIS is the U.S.’s only fire and all-hazards data system.
