The US Fire Administration (USFA) has announced the initiation of an ambitious modernisation project to develop a new, interoperable fire information and analytics platform, dubbed the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS).

The cutting-edge platform is set to revolutionise the American fire and emergency services by providing near real-time information and analytics tools to enhance data-driven decision-making for improved preparedness and response to all hazards.

NERIS aims to integrate data from a variety of federal data sets, computer-aided dispatch, and other live-data sources. This amalgamation of information will enable community risk assessment, encompassing vulnerable populations, the wildland-urban interface, drought areas, and flood plains.

NERIS will facilitate rapid data capture from hostile event responses, including responses to structure fires, emergency medical incidents, and hazardous materials events.

This project is made possible by a research and development contract awarded through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate’s (S&T) Long-Range Broad Agency Announcement program to the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI).

FSRI, an integral part of the UL Research Institutes, the non-profit safety science entity within the UL enterprise, will collaborate with the USFA, DHS S&T, and the American fire service to develop and introduce the NERIS platform to fire and emergency services departments across the nation.

NERIS is set to replace the existing National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) with a secure, cloud-hosted platform. This modern system aligns with the USFA’s National Fire Data Center’s responsibility under the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-498) to diminish the fire problem, reduce loss of life and property, and educate the public on fire prevention and protection, as well as the effects of all hazards.

Upon completion and operation of NERIS, the USFA will coordinate the migration of fire and emergency services departments onto the new platform. The incumbent NFIRS will remain operational throughout the transition process, ensuring the continuity of services. All fire and emergency services departments are encouraged to maintain their current use of the NFIRS data system until their migration to NERIS is complete. For the latest information on NERIS development, please visit www.usfa.fema.gov/nfirs/neris/.