The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) has recently led the development and launch of a beta version of the new interoperable fire information and analytics platform known as the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS).ⁱ NERIS will soon replace the current National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) during a transitional rollout period and will become the sole incident reporting system for all U.S. fire departments by January 2026.

Read on to get answers to key questions about the NFIRS to NERIS transition and what ZOLL Data Systems is doing to keep its software up to date for customers.

What is NERIS and why the change from NFIRS? 

NFIRS, the standard incident reporting system for fire departments across the country since the late sixties and early seventies, has been in desperate need of an update to modernize it with current fire data requirements, fill crucial reporting gaps, and provide better analytics and metrics.

The goal of NERIS is to provide more enhanced data integration, intelligence, and accuracy to provide better data management, and therefore better decision making for fire departments at both the local and national level. The NERIS update will focus on several key areas, including but not limited to more effective and streamlined data capture, more time savings through real-time access, and more flexibility and modularity for future needs.

Who is affected by the NERIS update?

All fire departments and/or fire-based EMS agencies in the U.S. are affected by the switch to NERIS.

When does NERIS reporting start?

A beta version of NERIS has already been launched by the USFA, and the transition from NFIRS will last approximately three years. Effective January 1, 2026, NERIS will become the sole incident reporting system for all U.S. fire departments, replacing and retiring NFIRS. Fire departments will need to be fully adopted to NERIS by that point.

How is ZOLL Data Systems working to transition affected products to NERIS?

ZOLL Data Systems is currently building out its NERIS module in both ZOLL Fire Reports and our legacy software, RescueNet^® FireRMS. We are aiming to have our beta version available to select customers to test for both products by early 2025, with the beta testing period ending shortly thereafter. This beta period for ZOLL Data Systems will focus on testing, migrating, training, and deployment. Once the beta testing period ends, ZOLL Data Systems will work with NERIS to transition customers based off NERIS timelines prior to January 1, 2026. NFIRS will then be retired from our products by January 1, 2026.

It is important to note that RescueNet FireRMS customers will require an upgrade once NERIS is available, whereas ZOLL Fire Reports software will be automatically updated to accommodate the NERIS changes aligning with the NERIS timelines. It is also important to note that NERIS reporting will be mandatory by January 1, 2026.

Where can I learn more about NERIS?

To learn more, we encourage readers to visit the USFA NERIS FAQ page for valuable resources related to the transition.

ⁱU.S. Fire Administration website. May 8, 2024. www.usfa.fema.gov/nfirs/neris/. Accessed 29 July 2024.