Dear Colleagues,

It has certainly been a fast paced and productive first quarter of 2024. I am grateful for your support of the USFA mission and initiatives we are advancing together for the nation’s fire service and the communities they protect.

One major initiative is the development and launch of the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS), which will replace the legacy NFIRS. We kicked off NERIS development just 10 months ago as a partnership between USFA, DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), and in collaboration with the fire service at-large. In that short time, we’ve made tremendous progress, and I’m pleased to share with you our key accomplishments for the first quarter of 2024 in the NERIS Executive Bulletin (attached).

The NERIS Executive Bulletin outlines what we’ve accomplished, why it’s important, and outlines what’s to come by way of major milestones for the remainder of 2024. I encourage you to keep apprised of our efforts through this quarterly Executive Bulletin and share it with your agency/ organization’s leadership.

Additionally, please be sure to register for the next NERIS Webinar on May 2, encourage others to register, and be on the lookout for the publicly accessible NERIS Newsletter which will be released in May.

Please let me know if you have questions and thank you as always for your ongoing support.

Lori Moore-Merrell, DrPH, MPH

U.S. Fire Administrator

500 C Street SW- 8NW -0804

Washington, DC 20024

O 202-212-7260

Modernizing the U.S. Fire Data System: NERIS Data Framework and Development Update

May 2nd, 2024 | 12:00 P.M. - 1:00 P.M. EST

Join the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS S&T), UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) for our third National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS) webinar. This webinar will share the latest NERIS developments and explore how we're moving towards a modernized approach in managing emergency response data and analytics across the nation.



Through this virtual session, we'll cover key updates and advancements on the NERIS project, and you’ll have an opportunity to:

• Learn about the latest progress and next steps for NERIS
• Explore the newly launched beta version of the Core Data Schemas
• Hear first-hand insights from Fire Chiefs testing the prototype version
• Engage directly with the NERIS team in a Q&A segment

Featured Speakers

• Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, U.S. Fire Administrator, USFA 
• Dr. Steve Kerber, Vice President and Executive Director, FSRI 
• Tom Jenkins, Research Manager, FSRI (Moderator)
• Don Lombardi, Chief, West Metro Fire and Rescue (CO)
• John Butler, Chief, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue (VA) and the President of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)

Please contact NERIS@ul.org with any additional questions.