Narratives

Documenting NERIS Narratives

Overview

NERIS provides two narrative sections for documenting written accounts of the incident. The Obstacles Narrative documents challenges encountered during the response, while the Incident Narrative provides a comprehensive description of the entire emergency event.

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.

Accessing Narrative Sections

1. Navigate to the Incidents module in EPR FireWorks

2. Select the incident record

3. Click either Obstacles Narrative or Incident Narrative in the left navigation menu

Narrative Types

Obstacles Narrative

The Obstacles Narrative section is used to document specific challenges, impediments, or unusual circumstances encountered during the incident response. This information helps identify operational difficulties and informs future training and preparedness efforts.

Key elements to include:

• Access problems

• Weather challenges

• Equipment limitations

• Resource constraints

• Communication issues

• Structural or environmental hazards

Incident Narrative

The Incident Narrative section provides a comprehensive account of the entire incident from dispatch to completion. This narrative serves as the official record of the event and should include all relevant details about the response.

Key elements to include:

• Initial conditions upon arrival

• Actions taken by responding units

• Incident progression and timeline

• Tactical decisions and outcomes

• Patient care provided (if applicable)

• Final incident disposition

Using the Narrative Editors

Both narrative sections feature rich-text editors with these functions:

The Incident Narrative includes additional features:

• Copy from Apparatus Narrative button to import text from unit-level documentation

• Character Count display showing current text length

• Narrative Logs button to view revision history

Completing Narrative Documentation

1. Enter detailed, factual information about the incident

2. Use clear, professional language

3. Include relevant timestamps for significant events

4. Review content for accuracy and completeness

5. Save changes before navigating away from the page

Best Practices for NERIS Narratives

• Document narratives as soon as possible after the incident

• Focus on factual information rather than opinions

• Use proper terminology consistent with NERIS guidelines

• Include details that may be relevant for legal or analytical purposes

• Maintain patient privacy by avoiding personally identifiable information

• Document challenges thoroughly to support future improvement efforts

NERIS narrative documentation plays a critical role in comprehensive incident reporting and contributes to national data used for emergency service improvement.