The Valley Chronicle - CAL FIRE ANNOUNCES STATEWIDE TRANSITION TO NEW NATIONAL EMERGENCY REPORTING SYSTEM

Sacramento – CAL FIRE – Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) announced today that fire departments across the state are beginning the transition to the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS)—a secure, cloud-based platform built to modernize how emergency incidents are reported and analyzed.

Departments across the country are onboarding to NERIS as part of a phased national rollout led by the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T), and the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), part of Underwriters Laboratory (UL) Research Institutes.

NERIS is replacing the 40-year-old National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS), and will provide local agencies with timely data tools, location-based analytics, and flexible options for incident reporting at no cost to departments.

“Modernizing emergency data collection is a critical step toward strengthening public safety,” said Chief Daniel Berlant, California State Fire Marshal. “By utilizing NERIS, we are giving our departments better tools to protect our communities, manage resources effectively, and make informed decisions backed by current data.”

Key Features of NERIS Include:

• Zero-cost access for all public fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies

• Local data ownership, giving departments full control of their records

• GIS-based reporting for location-specific insights and planning

• Actionable dashboards for operational awareness and performance tracking

• Streamlined onboarding with help desk support and training tools

Departments can begin the onboarding process today by visiting the NERIS website.  

The process includes account setup, administrator access, and records management system (RMS) integration, if applicable.

Departments can begin the onboarding process today by visiting the NERIS website.  

The process includes account setup, administrator access, and records management system (RMS) integration, if applicable.

CAL FIRE – OSFM encourages all departments to complete onboarding as soon as possible to ensure a smooth transition. The current national data platform, NFIRS, will be formally decommissioned on January 1, 2026.

For additional questions or technical support, departments can contact the NERIS Help Desk or the CAL FIRE – Office of the State Fire Marshal directly.

About NERIS

NERIS is the new all-hazards reporting platform for U.S. fire and emergency services. Developed through a federal public-private partnership with input from departments nationwide, NERIS delivers modern tools to streamline reporting, improve data quality, and support community risk reduction. By tracking operational trends, resource use, and incident outcomes, NERIS advances data-informed approaches to emergency response and resource allocation.