Sonora, CA — Fire departments across California are beginning to transition to the new National Emergency Response Information System, a cloud-based platform that aims to modernize how emergencies are reported and analyzed.
The transfer to NERIS is part of a national deployment spearheaded by the US Fire Administration and other agencies. It will replace the National Fire Incident Reporting System, which has been in operation for decades, and will provide agencies with free access to advanced data tools and analytics.
“Modernizing emergency data collection is a critical step toward strengthening public safety,” stated California State Fire Marshal Chief Daniel Berlant. “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.”
CAL Fire provided these key NERIS features:
• 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, if required, records management system (RMS) connection.
“NERIS is purpose-built for today’s fire service,” Steve Kerber, Executive Director of the Fire Safety Research Institute, said. “It’s based on research and feedback from the field, and it delivers actionable information that improves emergency response and supports long-term planning and resourcing at the local, state, and national levels.”
The current system will be decommissioned on January 1, 2026.
