Benefits of using NFIRS Fire departments can use NFIRS to track and manage apparatus, personnel and casualty information, document the full range of department activity, and justify budgets with summary and statistical data. Fire departments can use NFIRS data to focus on current community challenges, predict future issues, and measure program performance. The modular design of NFIRS makes the system easy to use because it captures only the data required to describe an incident.

By contributing to NFIRS, fire departments help the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) to: Analyze the severity and reach of the nation’s fire problem. Use NFIRS information to develop national public education campaigns. Make recommendations for national codes and standards. Determine consumer product failures. Identify the focus for research efforts. Support federal legislation.