Fire Incident Reporting

North Dakota Century Code 18-01-06 requires fire chiefs or their designee to report fires to the State Fire Marshals Office.  Fires are to be reported within 30 days of occurrence and shall be submitted in a form compliant and compatible with the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS).  Fire departments can meet this by reporting through any of the means as described below.  The State Fire Marshal’s Office does verify compliance with fire reporting multiple times each year.

The State Fire Marshal's office sends out reminders every month to fire chiefs that reports should be entered.  Timely reporting helps keep our statistics and dashboard up to date and accurate.  For further assistance with fire reporting please contact us.

Ways to Report

National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS)

Report via NERIS

Provided by the U.S. Fire Administration 

1. Register or log in: Visit https://neris.fsri.org/ to onboard or access your department’s NERIS account.
2. Follow reporting guidance: Use the step-by-step instructions available at https://tinyur.com/5x3ctp49 to ensure complete and accurate incident data entry.
3. Integrate with existing systems: NERIS can connect directly with Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Records Management Systems (RMS). See the NERIS Vendor Integration Enrollment guide for details.
4. Beyond fire incidents: NERIS supports additional reporting functions such as community risk reduction activities and fire investigations.
5. Confirm submission: Once entered, incidents should appear on your department’s NERIS dashboard. 

Emergency Reporting by ESO

Available to local departments through the Department of Forestry contract

1. Register for access: Email abbi.mathis@eso.com to request an ESO account.
2. Verify contract linkage: Ensure your account is connected to the Department of Forestry’s contract.
3. Complete RMS integration: Follow the setup guide here to complete user integration.
4. Reporting note: ESO data is not automatically submitted to the State Fire Marshal’s Office. For technical issues, contact ESO Support or the Department of Forestry

Third-Party Software

For a current list of NERIS-compatible software and vendor transition status, visit https://neris.fsri.org/integration-partners. 

1. Ensure completeness: Verify all incident reports are accurate, complete, and submitted.
2. Submit to the State: Confirm your RMS integration is complete and properly connected to NERIS via the NERIS Vendor Integration Enrollment process.
3. Onboard and notify: Departments using an RMS must first onboard in NERIS and notify their RMS vendor to connect their account.