CUFD selected for NERIS beta testing

PICKENS COUNTY — The Clemson University Fire & EMS Department (CUFD) has been chosen for beta testing of the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS). The department is one of 50 departments across the country to be selected to test the new system and one of just two in the state of South Carolina.

NERIS is an all-hazards platform built to equip the fire and emergency service community with the necessary data and tools to improve decision-making and support enhanced incident preparedness. Over the next few months, CUFD will explore the new system and use it to document the department’s work responding to fires, medical calls and other emergencies.

“Being selected as one of fifty fire departments in the country to beta test the new NERIS reporting system is a tremendous honor,” said Clemson University Fire Chief Rick Cramer. “This opportunity not only allows us to help shape the future of this platform, but also positions us at the forefront of evolving reporting requirements for fire departments nationwide.”

The NERIS platform is being developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T), the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), part of UL Research Institutes, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), and the American fire service. This initiative is made possible through a research and development contract awarded to FSRI by DHS S&T.

Community partnership has been essential to the creation of this new system. Fire and emergency response leaders provided extensive individual feedback and will be involved through the national rollout. This collaborative approach leverages the strong relationships between fire service organizations and the scientific research community.

Key Features of NERIS include enhanced data integration capabilities and significant computing power that reduce the burden on data contributors, user-defined, actionable analytic tools that support intelligence-led decision-making at the local level, rapid integration and analysis of data from multiple sources, including computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems, geographic information systems (GIS), physical and field sensors, and records management systems (RMS), and bi-directional application programming interfaces (APIs) that allow integration with other relevant systems and data services.

The goal is flexibility and adaptability will better meet the evolving needs of local fire services and first responders nationwide.

Following the initial prototype testing from six departments, NERIS is now broadening its reach to prepare for a national rollout. The 50 beta departments were selected based on an evaluation of key testing criteria. The departments, including CUFD, will engage in training and hands-on testing with the beta version of NERIS.

Members of CUFD will be trained on the new system and offer feedback on it during the testing phase. This will help ensure that NERIS meets the diverse needs of fire departments and other agencies across the country to build their capabilities to use data for better decision-making and ultimately safer communities, they said.