Incident Types

Overview

Incident classification is a critical component of NERIS reporting and determines which modules and fields will be displayed. NERIS allows the selection of up to three incident categories from the incident types and categories below.

Disclaimer

NERIS is currently under development by the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI). This guide reflects the system as implemented in EPR FireWorks. Functionality may evolve as NERIS continues development toward full national implementation by January 2026.

Defining the Incident Type

Click the desired incident type from the Subtypes. The incident types are listed in the Incident Type table below.
A sidebar with subtypes will open on the right. Select the subtype that best describes the incident.
The subcategories are listed in the Category and Subtypes tables below according to incident types.
Note: Only one subcategory can be selected per incident type.
Using the Primary column to the left of the Incident Type table, mark the primary incident type. The incident type you mark will jump to the top of the table.
Answer the subsequent yes/no questions:
1. Did any casualties (injuries or death) and/or rescues occur to firefighters during this incident?
2. Did any casualties (injuries or death) and/or rescues occur to non-firefighters during this incident?
3. Did the incident involve any emerging hazards? (Electric/Battery/Power Generation/CSST)?
  Note:
  - If the answer to questions (a) and (b) was Yes, complete the Casualties & Rescues tab (will open to the right).
  - If the answer to question (c) is Yes, complete the Emerging Hazards tab (will open on the right).
Add incident modifiers as needed to provide additional context or details from the following list:
- Active Assailant
- Mass Casualty Incident
- Federal Declared Disaster
- State Declared Disaster
- Urban Conflagration
- Violence Against Responder
- County or Local Declared Disaster
When done, proceed to complete Actions & Tactics.

Incident Types

Incident Type	Description
Fire	All incidents involving combustion or burning materials
Medical	Incidents requiring emergency medical services
Hazmat	Hazardous materials incidents and investigations
Rescue	Incidents involving trapped or endangered persons
Public Service	Non-emergency assistance to the public
No Emergency	False alarms, canceled calls, good intent calls
Law Enforcement Support	Assistance provided to law enforcement agencies

Incident Categories and Subtypes

Certain incident types require additional subtype specification. After selecting an incident type from the

Fire

Subcategory	Description	Subtypes
Outside Fire	Fires occurring outdoors (trash, vegetation, wildland)	Construction Waste Other Outside Fire Outside Tank Fire Trash / Rubbish Fire Vegetation / Grass Fire Wildfire - Wildland Wildfire - Urban Interface Utility Infrastructure Fire Dumpster / Other Outdoor Container Fire
Special Fire	Explosions, ESS fires, infrastructure fires	ESS Fire Explosion Infrastructure Fire (Tunnel, Bridge)
Structure Fire	Building fires, both confined and extended	Structural Involvement Room and Contents Fire Confined Cooking / Appliance Fire Chimney Fire
Transportation Fire	Vehicle, aircraft, boat, or train fires	Aircraft Emergency Vehicle Fire - Passenger Vehicle Fire - Commercial Vehicle Fire - RV Vehicle Fire - Food Truck Boat / Personal Watercraft / Barge Fire Powered Mobility Device Fire Train / Rail Fire

Hazardous Situation (HazSit/HazMat)

Subcategory	Description	Subtypes
Hazard Non-Chemical	Bomb threats, power lines, electrical hazards	Bomb Threat / Bomb Response / Suspicious Package Electrical Power Line Down / Arching / Malfunction Electrical Hazard / Short Circuit
Hazardous Materials	Chemical spills, gas leaks, radiological incidents	Fuel Spill / Fuel Odor Gas Leak / Gas Odor Carbon Monoxide Release Biological Release / Incident Radioactive Release / Incident Hazardous Material Release (Chemical from Transportation) Hazardous Material Release (Chemical from Fixed Facility)
Investigation	Smoke or odor investigations	Smoke Investigation Odor
Overpressure	Increase in pressure above normal atmospheric pressure	Rupture Without Fire No Rupture

Medical

Subcategory	Description	Subtypes
Illness	Non-traumatic medical conditions (cardiac, respiratory, stroke)	Abdominal Pain / Problems Back Pain (Non-Trauma) Breathing Problems Cardiac Arrest Chest Pain (Non-Trauma) Convulsions / Seizures Diabetic Problems Headache Heart Problems Pandemic / Epidemic / Outbreak Pregnancy / Childbirth Psychological Behavior Issues Sick Case Stroke / CVA Unconscious Victim Well Person Check Unknown Problem Nausea / Vomiting Altered Mental Status No Appropriate Choice Allergic Reaction / Stings Overdose / Poisoning
Injury/Trauma	Physical injuries from accidents, violence, or environmental causes	Animal Bites Assault Burns / Explosion Carbon Monoxide / Other Inhalation Injury Choking Drowning / Diving / SCUBA Accident Fall Heat / Cold Exposure Motor Vehicle Collision Industrial Accident / Inaccessible Incident / Other Entrapment (Non-Vehicle) Gunshot Wound Hemorrhage / Laceration Stab / Penetrating Trauma Other Traumatic Injury Electrocution Eye Trauma
Other	Medical alarms, standby requests, transfers, public health events	Healthcare Professional Admission Medical Alarm Standby Request Transfer / Interfacility Airmedical Transport Intercept Other Unit Community Public Health

No Emergency

Subcategory	Description	Subtypes
Cancelled	Calls cancelled en route or on-scene	Cancelled
False Alarm	Intentional, malfunction, or accidental alarms	Intentional False Alarm Malfunctioning Alarm Accidental Alarm Other False Call Bomb Scare
Good Intent	Calls with good intentions but no emergency found	No Incident Found Upon Arrival / Location Error Controlled Burning (Authorized) Smoke From Nonhostile Source (Smoke Scare) Investigate Hazardous Release (Nothing Found)

Public Service

Subcategory	Description	Subtypes
Alarms (Non-Medical)	Fire, gas, or CO alarm activations	Fire / Smoke Alarm Gas Alarm CO Alarm Other Alarm
Citizen Assist	Non-emergency assistance to civilians
Disaster/Weather	Weather-related responses, damage assessment
Other	Move-up, standby, and other miscellaneous services

Rescue

Subcategory	Description
Outside/Outdoor	Rescues in outdoor environments (steep angle, confined space)
Structure/Indoor	Building collapse, elevator/escalator rescues
Transportation (Land)	Vehicle extrication, train/aviation incidents
Water	Water rescues in standing or swift water