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NERIS Incident Types / Codes

Unlike NFIRS, which uses numeric codes, NERIS relies on descriptive, plain-language phrasing for incident types. For example, what NFIRS labels as a 111 – Structure Fire, NERIS breaks down into a more intuitive path: Fire → Structure Fire → Structural Involvement, ultimately producing the code:


FIRE / STRUCTURE_FIRE / STRUCTURAL_INVOLVEMENT_FIRE.

 

Most NERIS incident type codes follow this three-level structure:

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  • Primary Group – The broad category such as Fire, Medical, or Rescue.

  • Sub-Group – A more specific classification like Indoor Fire, Outdoor Fire, Trauma, or Illness.

  • Incident Type – The exact nature of the call, for example Structure Fire, MVA, etc.

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This format gives departments cleaner, more understandable data and helps streamline reporting across the board.

Primary Groups of Incident Types

NERIS organizes incident types using a tiered structure—starting with broad, high-level groups and then narrowing down into more specific categories. For example, Fire incidents are separated into inside vs. outside, and Medical is broken out between trauma-related and illness-related calls. Below are the primary groups you’ll see in NERIS:

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Fire – Inside (Structure), Outside (Wildland), Transportation, Other
Medical – Injury (Trauma), Illness, Other
Hazardous Situation – Non-Chemical, Hazardous Materials, Investigation
Rescue – Outside, Inside (Structure), Transportation, Water
Public Service – Assistance, Non-Medical Alarms, Weather, Other
No Emergency – Cancelled, False Alarm, Good Intent
Assisting Law Enforcement

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This structure makes it easier to categorize incidents accurately and keeps reporting consistent across your department.

Fire - Primary Type

Secondary & Tertiary sub-groups

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Structure Fire

  • Structural Involvement

  • Room & Contents Fire

  • Confined Cooking / Appliance Fire

  • Chimney Fire

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Wildland Fire

  • Wildfire – Wildland

  • Vegetation / Grass Fire

  • Wildlife – Urban Interface

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Outside Fire​

  • Construction Waste

  • Outside Tank Fire

  • Trash / Rubbish Fire

  • Utility Infrastructure Fire

  • Dumpster / Other Outdoor Container Fire

  • Other Outside Fire​​

Transportation Fire

  • Vehicle Fire (Passenger)

  • Vehicle Fire (Commercial)

  • Vehicle Fire (Recreational RV)

  • Vehicle Fire – Food Truck

  • Boat / Personal Watercraft, Barge Fire

  • Powered Mobility Device Fire

  • Train / Rail Fire

  • Aircraft Emergency

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Special Fire

  • Energy Storage (ESS)

  • Fire Explosion

  • Infrastructure Fire

Medical - Primary Group

Other

  • Healthcare Professional Admission

  • Medical Alarm

  • Standby Request

  • Transfer / Interfacility

  • Air medical Transport

  • Intercept Other Unit

  • Community Public Health

  • Hemorrhage / Laceration

  • Stab / Penetration Trauma

  • Other Traumatic Injury

Secondary & Tertiary sub-groups

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Injury

  • Animal Bites

  • Assault

  • Burns / Explosion

  • Carbon Monoxide / Other Inhalation

  • Choking

  • Driving / Driving / SCUBA

  • Electrocution

  • Eye Trauma

  • Fall

  • Heat / Cold Exposure

  • Motor Vehicle Collision

  • Industrial Accident / Inaccessible Incident / Other

  • Poisoning

  • Gunshot Wound

  • Hemorrhage / Laceration

  • Stab / Penetration Trauma

  • Other Traumatic Injury

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Illness

  • Abdominal Pain / Problems

  • Allergic Reaction / Sting

  • Back Pain

  • Breathing Problem

  • Cardiac Arrest

  • Chest Pain (Non-Trauma)

  • Convulsions / Seizures

  • Diabetic Problems

  • Headache

  • Heart Problems

  • Overdose / Poisoning

  • Pandemic / Epidemic / Outbreak

  • Pregnancy / Childbirth

  • Psychological Behavior Issues

  • Sick Case

  • Stroke / CVA

  • Unconscious Victim

  • Well Person Check

  • Altered Mental Status

  • Nausea Vomiting

  • No appropriate Choice

  • Unknown Problem

Hazardous Situations - Primary Group

Secondary & Tertiary sub-groups

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Non-Chemical

  • Motor Vehicle Collision

  • Electrical Power Line Down / Arching / Malfunction

  • Bomb Threat / Bomb Response / Suspicious Package

  • Electrical Hazard / Short Circuit

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Hazardous Materials

  • Fuel Spill / Fuel Odor

  • Gas Leak / Gas Odor

  • Carbon Monoxide (CO) Release

  • Biological Release / Incident

  • Radioactive Release / Incident

  • Hazardous Material Release (Chemical from Transportation)​​

Overpressure

  • Rupture Without Fire

  • No Rupture

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Investigation

  • Odor

  • Smoke Investigation

Rescue - Primary Group

Secondary & Tertiary sub-groups

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Outside

  • Backcountry Rescue

  • Confined Space Rescue

  • Trench

  • Extrication / Entrapped

  • High Angle Rescue

  • Low Angle Rescue

  • Steep Angle Rescue

  • Limited / No Access

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Structure

  • Building Collapse / Structure Collapse

  • Confined Space Rescue

  • Elevator / Escalator Rescue

  • Extrication / Entrapped

Transportation

  • Motor Vehicle Collision Extrication / Entrapment

  • Train and Rail Collision / Derailment

  • Aviation Collision / Crash

  • Aviation Standby

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Water

  • Person in Water (Standing Water / Lake)

  • Person in Water (Swiftwater / River)

  • Watercraft in Distress

Public Service - Primary Group

Secondary & Tertiary sub-groups

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Assistance

  • Lift Assist

  • Lost Person

  • Person in Distress

  • Citizen Assist / Service Call

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Non-Medical Alarm

  • Fire / Smoke Alarm

  • Gas Alarm

  • CO Alarm

  • Other Alarm

Weather

  • Damage Assessment

  • Weather Response

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Other

  • Move-up

  • Standby

  • Damaged Hydrant

No Emergency - Primary Group

Secondary & Tertiary sub-groups

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Cancelled

  • Cancelled

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False Alarm

  • Intentional False Alarm

  • Malfunctioning Alarm

  • Accidental Alarm

  • Other False Call

  • Bomb Scare

Good Intent

  • No Incident Found Upon Arrival / Location Error

  • Controlled Burning (Authorized)

  • Smoke from Non-Hostile Source

  • Investigating Hazardous Release

Assisting Law Enforcement - Primary Group

Secondary & Tertiary sub-groups

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Assisting Law Enforcement

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