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Executive Summary 

As of January 1, 2026, the American fire service has officially entered a new digital age. The National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS) has now replaced the 50-year-old NFIRS as the sole federal standard for incident data collection in the United States.

The Point of No Return 

For fire departments and administrators, this month marks a critical milestone. With federal legacy servers scheduled for permanent decommissioning in February, the industry is racing to finalize 2025 records while simultaneously adapting to a cloud-native reporting environment. This transition, led by the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), moves the fire service away from static, numeric-coded reports toward dynamic, geospatial data intelligence.

Key Deadlines: The February Cutoff 

Departments across all 50 states must adhere to the following mandatory timelines:

January 31, 2026: The absolute final deadline to enter or modify any 2025 incident data in the legacy eNFIRS system.

February 2026: The legacy NFIRS platform will go offline permanently. Historical data will transition exclusively to the OpenFEMA Public Data Release.

Grant Eligibility: Failure to onboard with NERIS will result in immediate disqualification from FEMA AFG and SAFER grant programs.

Why the Shift Matters 

Unlike the previous system, NERIS is designed for the modern responder. Key features include:

Real-time Geospatial Integration: Automatic mapping of incident locations.

Plain Language Reporting: No more memorizing cryptic numeric codes.

Tactical Timestamps: Precise tracking of critical moments like Water on Fire and Command Established.

Mobile-First Architecture: Reporting directly from tablets at the scene to ensure accuracy.

Action Checklist for Fire Departments 

To ensure your fire department is compliant and your funding remains secure, perform the following audit immediately:

Vendor Validation: Verify that your RMS software is officially NERIS V1 Data Exchange certified.

NERIS Entity ID: Confirm your new 10-digit alpha-numeric ID is active and correctly linked to your fire department.

Data Archiving: Secure a local backup of your department's historical NFIRS records before the federal servers go dark next month.

About USFireDept.com 

As the U.S. fire service navigates this historic shift, USFireDept.com remains committed to providing the most up-to-date resources, software directories, and technical guides to ensure no fire department is left behind. For a full list of NERIS-compatible SaaS vendors and migration tools, visit our Resources Section.