Hello Reader,

As we wind down 2025, NFIRS is going away, and NERIS will replace it.

Is NERIS Mandatory? Short answer: YES.

My understanding is that state fire marshals are mandating NERIS reporting (other than perhaps Ohio.) If you report to NFIRS you need to migrate to reporting to NERIS. If you don't report to NFIRS, you might well need to start with NERIS.

Many fire departments are already eligible for NERIS migration. If not, your migration month is December or January.

Navigating any NERIS Speed bumps, your regular PSA:

You do not know your NERIS ID:

If you cannot find your fire department in the Responserack NERIS ID pages (or here https://neris.fsri.org/departments) it is possible that your fire department is not yet in NERIS. Request "Add a Fire Department" using https://neris.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portals to provide your details.

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You don’t have your invitation into NERIS:

If you don't have your invitation by now, then it is most likely that your name / email address are not associated correctly at NERIS. Send a request for your invitation using https://neris.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portals - and provide your NERIS ID, if you can. (Note: This is *ONLY* sent to Chief's email address, so please check their email and/or spam folder.)

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You don’t have a GIS district boundary:

Geographic Information System (GIS) is used to represent your district boundary. For many of us, NERIS has pre-loaded a reasonable approximation of our boundary, but if not and you don't have one, nor know how to create one ... you always can submit incidents without it. That said, often your local county GIS team will have a boundary on file for you (especially if you are a fire protection district.)

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Don’t have Dispatch / CAD / PSAP information:

You might not know what a PSAP ID is (I didn't) but it is a Public Service Access Point (i.e. 911 call center.) We have some PSAP IDs listed here https://www.responserack.com/public-safety/ but you'd likely want to communicate with your dispatch center. If you want to send this link https://www.responserack.com/posts/neris-fire-department-entity-data/ they'll be able to see the questions asked. Let them know that all their fire departments (not just you) will want to know there answers to these question.
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Enter your NERIS information, and then report

Once you are able to log in to NERIS, you can finish your department information, and enter your NERIS station and unit information:

https://www.responserack.com/posts/neris-fire-department-entity-data/

How is your NERIS Migration going?

How are you finding your migration to NERIS, so far? Let me know, I'd love to hear your view on the good and the bad of it.

regards

Adam