What NERIS Left Behind

Why Your RMS Should Collect More Data Than Required

After 48 years, the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) is being replaced by the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS). While NERIS V1 brings modern infrastructure and improved data quality, it launches without some capabilities that departments have relied on for decades. Here's what you need to know to future-proof your data.

The NERIS Transition Timeline

The transition from NFIRS to NERIS is happening fast. Here are the critical dates every fire department needs to know:

Date	Milestone
May 2023	FSRI initiated NERIS development
May 2024	Beta schemas released (Entity, CAD, Incident)
Fall 2024	NERIS V1.0 launched
November 2024	Phase 1 onboarding began
February 2025	Phase 2 onboarding
May 2025	FEMA Region rollout campaign
January 1, 2026	All reporting exclusive to NERIS
January 31, 2026	Last day to edit CY2025 NFIRS records
February 22, 2026	NFIRS sunset complete

Important: Historical NFIRS data (1980-2025) will not migrate to NERIS. Departments must download and archive their historical data separately before the sunset date.

What's Missing from NERIS V1

NERIS V1 is a significant modernization, but it launched without several modules that fire departments have relied on for years. The USFA confirms these features are "planned for future release" but provides no firm dates:

Investigations Module

Detailed fire investigation data including arson determination, evidence collection, and suspect information. Critical for fire marshals and investigators.

Exposures Module

Tracking of properties threatened or exposed by incidents. Important for understanding fire spread patterns and prevention planning.

Equipment Ignition Details

NFIRS Module 2 captured equipment brand, model, serial number, and year. Granularity for equipment-related fire tracking may differ in NERIS.

Mobile App Interface

Smartphone interface for field data entry. Currently planned but not available in V1.

Casualty Tracking Details

NERIS has casualty tracking, but the field structure may differ from the detailed NFIRS forms. Expand the sections below to see what NFIRS captured:

NFIRS Module 4 - Civilian Fire Casualty Fields

NFIRS Module 4 captured detailed information about civilian fire casualties:

Age and date of birth
Gender and race
Severity (fatal/non-fatal)
Cause of injury
Human factors contributing
Factors contributing to injury
Activity when injured
Location at time of ignition
General location at injury
Story at start / Story at injury
Primary apparent symptom
Primary area of body injured
Disposition (transported, treated on scene, etc.)
Affiliation (occupant, visitor, etc.)

NFIRS Module 5 - Fire Service Casualty Fields

NFIRS Module 5 captured detailed information about firefighter injuries and fatalities:

Age and date of birth
Gender and career/volunteer status
Date and time of injury
Responses to injuries in career
Severity (fatal/non-fatal)
Taken to hospital (Y/N)
Object involved in injury
Activity at time of injury
Primary apparent symptom
Primary area of body injured
Cause of firefighter injury
Human factors contributing
Factors contributing to injury
Protective equipment problems
Protective equipment failure area
Location where injury occurred
Story where injury occurred
Specific location at time of injury
Vehicle/device contributing to injury

NFIRS Equipment Involved in Ignition Fields

NFIRS Module 2 captured granular equipment details for fires involving equipment:

Equipment involved in ignition (coded)
Brand name
Model name
Model number
Serial number
Year (model year)
Equipment portability
Equipment power source

This granular equipment data supports manufacturer recalls, consumer safety research, and fire prevention programs.

The "Coming Soon" Promise

USFA has officially confirmed that additional modules are planned for NERIS, but with no firm release dates:

Investigations Module — "Planned for future release"
Exposures Module — "Planned for future release"
Mobile App — Under development
Machine Learning/Predictive Analysis — Future capability

Why dates matter: Without confirmed release dates, departments can't plan their data collection strategies. The gap between NFIRS sunset (February 2026) and when these modules become available could be months or years.

Why Collect Comprehensive Data Now?

The fire service has a fundamental truth: you can't retroactively collect incident details. Once the scene is cleared and the reports are filed, that's the data you have. Here's why collecting more than the minimum matters:

Grant Applications

SAFER and AFG grants reward departments with comprehensive data. Strong incident documentation demonstrates community risk and justifies funding needs.

Legal Protection

Detailed incident records protect your department in litigation. Equipment details, casualty information, and investigation notes are often critical in legal proceedings.

Insurance Documentation

Comprehensive records support insurance claims and investigations. The more detail you capture, the stronger your documentation.

Prevention Planning

Trend analysis requires detailed data. Equipment ignition patterns, casualty factors, and exposure data drive effective fire prevention programs.

The bottom line: When NERIS adds Investigations and Exposures modules, departments with comprehensive data will be ready to report. Those collecting only the minimum will have gaps they can never fill.

What Smart Departments Are Doing

Forward-thinking departments aren't waiting for NERIS to tell them what data matters. They're taking proactive steps:

Collecting beyond minimum requirements — Capturing investigation details, equipment information, and casualty data even when NERIS doesn't require it yet.
Archiving historical NFIRS data — Downloading and preserving decades of incident history before it becomes inaccessible.
Choosing future-ready RMS tools — Selecting systems that can export to NERIS now while capturing comprehensive data for when new modules launch.
Training staff on detailed documentation — Building habits now that will pay dividends when NERIS expands its data requirements.

Command Established is built with this philosophy in mind. We collect comprehensive incident data that meets current NERIS requirements while being ready for future modules. Your data is yours, exportable, and future-proof.

Recommendations & Next Steps

Audit What Your Current RMS Captures — Review your current system against the NFIRS fields listed above. Are you collecting investigation details? Equipment information? Detailed casualty data?
Plan for the January 2026 Deadline — Ensure your RMS can export to NERIS format. Test submissions with the NERIS test API before the deadline arrives.
Archive Your NFIRS History — Download your historical data from NFIRS before February 2026. This data will not migrate to NERIS and will be lost if not archived.
Consider What Data You'll Want in 5 Years — Think about grant applications, legal documentation, and trend analysis. What data will you wish you had captured? Start collecting it now.