The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) and the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) announce today that Tennessee fire departments 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.
NERIS is replacing the 40-year-old National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) in order to provide local agencies with timely data tools, location-based analytics, and flexible options for incident reporting — at no cost to departments. NFIRS will be formally decommissioned on January 1, 2026.
“As Tennessee’s state fire marshal, I am committed to helping our state’s fire departments and emergency responders get the tools they need to protect their communities, manage their resources effectively, and make decisions backed by current data,” said TDCI Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Carter Lawrence. “The adoption of NERIS is a critical step toward further strengthening Tennessee’s public safety. I urge all Tennessee fire chiefs to get started as soon as possible on the important process of transitioning to NERIS.”
Tennessee is part of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 4, which also includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Departments across the region 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 UL Research Institutes.
Key features of NERIS include:
- Zero-cost access for all public fire and 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.
“NERIS is purpose-built for today’s fire service,” said Steve Kerber, Executive Director of FSRI. “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 SFMO encourages all departments to complete onboarding as soon as possible to ensure a smooth transition.
For additional questions or technical support, departments can contact the NERIS Help Desk or SFMO Fire Data/NERIS Program Manager Kyle Evans at [email protected] or (615) 253-2198.
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