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of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    Office of the State Fire Commissioner

    PennFIRS

    The Pennsylvania Fire Incident Reporting System, or PennFIRS, is what we use to log fire incidents in Pennsylvania.

    Overview

    Fire departments are required to log incident reports to meet eligibility requirements for certain Commonwealth grants. Pennsylvania uses this data to assess state and local needs regarding fire and life safety, community risk reduction, recruitment and retention, and GIS mapping. We transmit submitted data to the U.S. Fire Administration's database to help maintain national-level reporting and analytics. If a fire department reports into the Pennsylvania system, there is no additional requirement to report into the national database.

    National Emergency Response Information System

    The National Emergency Response Information System — NERIS for short — is rolling out by region across the country. All Pennsylvania fire departments must be registered with the system.

    3 Things To Do Right Now

    1. 1

      Set Up Your Account

      Onboarding is ongoing.  All fire departments must set up an account. To start, complete the NERIS account setup form.

    2. 2

      Check Your Email

      Once you have been invited to join the new system, you'll get an email. Check your spam folder if you don't see it. Sign in with the temporary password you receive and set your new password. After you set your new password, verify your email address. You must verify your account. 

    3. 3

      Connect Your Accounts

      You will need to associate your NERIS account with whatever reporting vendor you are using.

    Connecting Your Emergency Networking Account

    January 1 Deadline

    Starting Jan. 1, 2026, all incidents will need to report to NERIS standards. National Fire Incident Reporting System incidents will be accepted until January 15, but will be decommissioned in February 2026.

    System Onboarding Information

    Reporting Software

    Departments can choose the vendor they prefer for fire incident reporting, but we provide a no-cost option that allows fire departments to meet the minimum reporting requirements.

    The Software We Provide is Changing

    We're in the process of switching reporting software — from Emergency Reporting to Emergency Networking. 

    Create a Emergency Networking Account
    Onboarding Deadline: Early December

    If moving to Emergency Networking, please make sure that you are onboarded by early December. Have your account set up and ready to use. Contact us if you have not yet received your onboarding information.

    If your fire department is remaining with Emergency Reporting until December 31, you will be responsible for downloading your incidents for the months of October through December and importing them into your Emergency Networking account.

    •  NFIRS Fire Module
    • NERIS Fire Module
    • Department Insights (Analytics, Standard Reports, Ad-Hoc Reports)
    • Exposure Tracking Module (Tracking Hazardous Exposures to Crew Members)
    • Personnel Management
    • Staff Activity (Tracking points and hours for payroll & LOSAP requirements)
    • Daily Log
    • Events
    • Crew Schedule & Shifts
    • Document Library
    • Certification Tracking
    • Multi-Agency Single Sign On functionality
    • Importing historical NFIRS data for all accounts

    Using Another Vendor?

    All departments in the Commonwealth will have an Emergency Networking account, even if they have opted to use another reporting software. Incidents will be pulled from NERIS and put into your account.  Every department will have reporting capabilities in Emergency Networking.

    Retrieve any historical data from October 1, 2025, until you start reporting to NERIS. Submit this data to Emergency Networking to be imported into your account.

    Retaining Historical Data

    The law requires us to retain seven years of historical data. The process for retaining these records depends on your current reporting method

    • Non-Emergency Reporting Users moving to another other vendor: Work with current and future vendors for specific guidance, ensuring that at least seven years of records are retained and complies with record retention policies.
    Get Help Through the Process

    NERIS and PennFIRS In-Person Trainings

    • March 25

      1 PM- 3 PM & 6 PM- 8 PM
      Lackawanna County Department of Emergency Services
      30 Valley View Dr.
      Jessup, PA 18434

    • March 26

      1 PM- 3 PM & 6 PM- 8 PM
      Bloomsburg Fire Department
      911 Market St
      Bloomsburg, PA 17815

    • April 1

      1 P.M.- 3 P.M. & 6 P.M.- 8 P.M.
      Wellsboro Fireman’s Annex
      21 East Ave
      Wellsboro, PA 16901

    • April 2

      1 P.M.- 3 P.M. & 6 P.M.- 8 P.M.
      State Fire Academy
      1150 Riverside Drive
      Lewistown, PA 17044

    • April 8

      1 P.M.- 3 P.M. & 6 P.M.- 8 P.M.
      Elgin-Beaverdam Hose Company
      17920 N. Main Street
      Elgin, PA 16407

    • April 9

      1 P.M.- 3 P.M. & 6 P.M.- 8 P.M.
      Crystal Fire Department Fire Hall
      319 Erie Avenue
      St. Marys, PA 15857

    • April 10

      6 P.M.- 8 P.M.
      Cambria Height High School
      426 Glendale Lake Rd
      Patton, PA 16668

    • May 15 - May 16

      May 15 1 PM- 3 PM

      May 16 11 AM- 1 PM

      Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex
      Visit OSFC Fire Expo Booth for location details.
      2300 N. Cameron Street
      Harrisburg, PA 17110

    Monthly Reports

    Monthly participation reports will be available in both NFIRS & NERIS standards for PennFIRS compliance through the current and previous year, reflecting the grant cycle.

    Find PennFIRS monthly reports