NERIS Officer Checklist

Core Incident Fields (Every Incident)

• Incident number — unique, assigned by CAD or RMS
• Incident date and time — alarm time, arrival time, controlled time
• Incident address — verified against CAD data
• Incident type — NERIS incident type code (not NFIRS code)
• Actions taken — primary and secondary actions
• Resources used — apparatus and personnel counts
• Mutual aid — given to or received from, if applicable

Fire Module Fields (Fire Incidents)

Required when the incident type is a fire incident (structure fire, vehicle fire, brush fire, etc.)

• Area of origin — NERIS code (different from NFIRS)
• Fire spread at arrival — confined, room, floor, building, beyond building
• Ignition cause — cause category and contributing factor
• Detector performance — presence, alarm activation, and effectiveness
• Sprinkler performance — presence, activation, and effectiveness (if applicable)
• Property use — NERIS property use classification code
• Structure type — construction type and stories (for structure fires)

EMS Module Fields (Medical Incidents)

Required when the incident type is an EMS or medical response.

• Response type — emergency vs. non-emergency, ALS vs. BLS
• Patient disposition — transported, treated and released, refused, deceased
• Procedures performed — CPR, airway, medication administration (if applicable)
• Aid given — level of care and by whom
• Aid received — mutual aid from other agencies (if applicable)
• Unit type — ALS engine, BLS ambulance, rescue, etc.

Common Errors to Catch

• !Applying NFIRS codes to NERIS fields — code sets are different
• !Leaving detector performance blank when no detectors were present
• !Missing mutual aid fields when other agencies responded
• !Using the wrong incident type code for the actual incident
• !Incomplete actions taken — listing primary action only