Required NERIS Pre-Transition Checklist: Steps to Complete Before Switching to NERIS

Quick Summary Checklist

Complete each item below in order before submitting your NERIS transition request: Refer to the full Step-by-Step Guide for Transitioning from NFIRS to NERIS for additional context and state-specific details.

• ☐ Complete & Authorize All Outstanding NFIRS Reports

• ☐ Update Apparatus Record (in First Due) with the following required fields:
  

• Associate Apparatus with Locations
  

• Update NERIS Apparatus Type
  

• CAD Designation

• Normal Staffing Levels (in the Specifications tab)

• ☐ Review and Update Location Addresses/ Remove or update duplicate stations (in First Due)
  

• If the address is missing a zip code, edit Location, click the address line and select the correct address populated by Google
  

• If you have multiple Locations using the same Address, you must add a value in Address Line 2 field to make the address unique
  

• ☐ NERIS Department Registration

• ☐ NERIS - Link First Due in NERIS as Third Party Vendor: First Due Client ID: 4dc47291-f9bb-4e4b-950c-9fe32100cd87

• ☐ Use the NERIS Fast-Track Transition Management Tool to transition from NFIRS to NERIS
  

• Reference this article for information on the NERIS Transition Management Tool: Self-Guided Transition to NERIS Using the Transition Management Tool
  

• ☐ REFINE Settings: Post-Transition Configuration: Update Settings in Fire Incident Setup and build Workflows 
  

• Update Aiding Department info to include new NERIS ENTITY ID where FDID once existed
  

• Review and update settings - Incident Type related settings; Wildland Fields, Authorization settings, EMS settings, and Unit narrative settings
  

Detailed Pre-Transition Checklist

Complete & Authorize All Outstanding NFIRS Reports

• ☐ COMPLETE & AUTHORIZE ALL OUTSTANDING NFIRS REPORTS
  

• Identify reports in Not Started, Incomplete, or Pending Authorization status
  

• Complete and authorize all outstanding NFIRS reports (no more than 25 incomplete reports at the time of transition is recommended)

• Use Incident List Views to filter and locate these reports efficiently
  

• If you need to perform a final export of your NFIRS incidents up to the date prior to your NERIS Transition, you may do this through the incident list.
  

• Filter the date range applicable
  

• Filter for Status = Authorized
  

• Expand pagination to 500
  

• Bulk select all incidents
  

• Export

Update critical Apparatus NERIS fields

• ☐ ASSOCIATE APPARATUS WITH A STATION
  

• Navigate to Admin or Assets > Apparatus List
  

• Ensure that each Department Owned apparatus record has a valid Location assigned
  

• Document NERIS Apparatus Type
  

• Document CAD Designation if this field is empty.
  

• This field (if populated) copies the Associated Dispatch Unit, if there is an Associated Dispatch Unit added to this record

• This field is intended for the CAD Call Sign for this apparatus, however, if this unit is not dispatched by CAD you can copy the apparatus name into this free text field. 
  

• In Specifications Tab, set the Normal Staffing Level for that apparatus
  

• Edit any apparatus missing these values and click Save
  

Do NOT create your Locations or Apparatus in the NERIS Website. First Due will send this data to NERIS upon Integration completion.

Review and Update Station Addresses

• ☐ REVIEW AND UPDATE STATION ADDRESSES/ REMOVE OR UPDATE DUPLICATE ADDRESSES (in First Due)
  

• Go to Admin or As > Location List
  

• Open each station record and verify the full address includes a ZIP code

• If the ZIP code is missing:

  • Click into the address field

  • Select the correct Google-suggested address

  • Click Save to update the record
    

• If you have multiple stations with different names but the same address, you MUST make each distinct or delete the duplicate that isn't a real station
  

• To maintain the duplicate station, update the Address Line 2 field to include name of station or the suite number

NERIS Department Registration

• ☐ NERIS DEPARTMENT REGISTRATION
  

• Locate the NERIS onboarding email sent by FEMA/USFA or your State Fire Program Manager
  

• Use the included registration link and Department Onboarding Code to complete setup

• Register a department admin, set up your profile, and assign user roles

Link First Due in NERIS as Third Party Vendor

• ☐ LINK FIRST DUE IN NERIS AS THIRD PARTY VENDOR (CRITICAL STEP)
  

• Log into your NERIS portal
  

• Navigate to Enrollments/ Third-Party Integrations or API Access

• Enter and authorize the First Due Client ID: 4dc47291-f9bb-4e4b-950c-9fe32100cd87

Use the NERIS Fast-Track Transition Management Tool

• ☐ Use the NERIS Fast-Track Transition Management Tool to transition your department from NFIRS to NERIS

• Reference this article for information on the NERIS Transition Management Tool: Self-Guided Transition to NERIS Using the Transition Management Tool
  

Important: Field Customizations and Hide, Default, and Error Validation Workflows built for NFIRS will not carry over to NERIS, as this is a new data standard. This means all necessary workflows must be rebuilt within NERIS after the transition.

We recommend:

• Reviewing/ creating a sample NERIS incident immediately after the switch to identify additional fields to require via Error Validation, we recommend deleting the incident after use.
• Build any critical Hide, Default, or Error Validation workflows in the NERIS environment.
• Using Custom Field Management to ensure fields important to your department are clearly labeled.

Allow adequate time after the switch to assess your needs and implement new configurations.

1. To help streamline this process, we will provide recommended workflows and screenshots to reduce the guesswork and ease the transition.  

For Help in setting up Workflows, please see the Workflows Section in the Knowledge Base: Workflows - What are they and how do I set them up?