What Vehicle Fires Require in NERIS
Vehicle fires use the NERIS Fire Module with vehicle-specific property use codes and area of origin codes. Instead of the structure-focused area of origin options, vehicle fires use codes specific to vehicle areas — engine compartment, passenger compartment, cargo area, and others. The property use classification for vehicle fires also uses different codes than structure fires.
Ignition cause for vehicle fires often involves mechanical failure or electrical system issues — officers familiar with structure fire reporting sometimes apply structure-fire cause codes incorrectly.
Common Vehicle Fire Reporting Issues
Vehicle type code is missing or incorrect
NERIS distinguishes between passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, recreational vehicles, and other vehicle types.
Area of origin uses structure codes
Officers familiar with structure fire origin codes apply them to vehicle fires, where different codes apply.
Ignition cause is vague or uncoded
Vehicle fires frequently involve mechanical or electrical causes that have specific NERIS cause codes.
Station Draft Coverage for Vehicle Fires
Station Draft includes vehicle fire coverage that expands through the pilot. The v0.1 focus is on structure fires, but vehicle fire field mapping is included. Officers writing vehicle fire narratives will see Fire Module fields populated with confidence flags — with Review or Missing flags on fields that require vehicle-specific codes where the narrative was not specific enough to determine the correct option.