AZ National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS)
NFIRS Data Gathering
The National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) is the standard national reporting system used in the United States by fire departments to report fires and other incidents to which they respond and to maintain records of these incidents in a uniform manner. Arizona uses this system as the state does not maintain a separate repository of reports. Instead, reports are submitted and processed directly to NFIRS. Statistics and reports are then compiled by collecting information directly from the NFIRS database housed in the National Fire Data Center.
NFIRS is an all-incident system designed to fully represent what fire departments do for the citizens of Arizona—which is much more than fighting fires. Locally, data can be used to implement public education programs, accurately explain equipment needs for departments, and determine standards and levels of emergency response coverage information. Only after identifying problems can prevention programs be developed and utilized. Many prevention programs that aid public safety rely on up-to-date reporting. This information is so valuable that many grants require departments to be compliant with NFIRS incident reporting before grant money is awarded. The modular design of NFIRS makes the system easy to use; it captures only the data required to describe an incident.
For more NFIRS information review the links below or contact Cassie Peters, via email or at 602-364-1015.
Additional NFIRS Resources
Reference Materials
- Incident Type Cheat Sheet
- NFIRS Complete Reference Guide
- 1-Page Reference Guide
- NFIRS Incident Field Notes
- Reporting No Activity
Helpful Links and Resources
2020
Quarter 1
Quarter 2
Quarter 3
Quarter 4
Requirements and Submissions
The Office of the State Fire Marshal has determined that NFIRS is the uniform system of reporting fires, as prescribed in Arizona Revised Statute ARS 37-1383. A department should submit reports for one month by the 20th of the following month (i.e. October reports should be submitted by November 20th). If a department has not had any runs for a month, that department should submit a No Activity report. Reporting requirements are the same for volunteer, combo and career departments. If information on a report changes, the department should submit a revised report.
The process for submitting reports depends on the department’s choice of software. If a department is using the free Federal Client Tool, available through www.nfirs.fema.gov, reports are automatically uploaded to the database when the report is saved. The Federal Client Tool has an online version called eNFIRS. You will need to first register for a profile for your fire department's account. Your state’s NFIRS program manager will notify you when your account is active.
If a department is using a third-party vendor, the reports are submitted by utilizing the Bulk Import Utility.
Once submissions have been processed departments will receive a response stating what reports were submitted to the database, including details regarding any validation errors. No Activity reports are also submitted by utilizing eNFIRS.
A list of approved third-party vendors is available by clicking here.
Departments without internet access are urged to contact the Arizona NFIRS Program Manager for assistance. Paper reports can be submitted if no other means are available, but there are many options offered to departments. For more information please contact Reinert Toft.
Disclaimer of Non-Endorsement
Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the department. The views and opinions of individuals expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the department, and shall not be used for advertising or product-endorsement purposes.
