Q&A: Virginia Fire Department Leads National Reporting Transition
June 24, 2026 by Jillian Donley and Joel Mampilly, EMT
Reporting has become more than just a daily part of compliance requirements for crews — it’s a critical tool for operational insight, funding, and community impact. From supporting national data systems like the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS) to strengthening grant applications and resource planning, incident reporting plays a central role in today’s fire and EMS landscape.
With the evolution of reporting capabilities provided by leading technology providers such as Tyler Technologies’ Fire & EMS Suite — formerly Emergency Networking — agencies have access to systems designed to simplify reporting workflows while supporting the growing demand for high-quality data.
We spoke with David King, a former battalion chief at a large Virginia fire department and now product owner at Tyler Technologies, about how his department approached the shift to NERIS.
As one of the first in the nation to submit data to NERIS via API, his department’s experience offers practical insights into how agencies can successfully navigate change while making reporting easier for crews in the field.
Q: When you were serving as battalion chief at a large fire department in Virginia, the transition from NFIRS to NERIS was just beginning to take shape. At the time, your team was preparing to launch a new NFIRS solution with Tyler Fire & EMS suite (formerly Emergency Networking). How did the announcement of NERIS change your plans?
David: When we first heard that Tyler would be working with Emergency Networking — now part of the Tyler Fire & EMS Suite — we connected early with co-founder and then CEO Sean Ramsey, now general manager of Tyler Fire & EMS, and his team to begin developing the NFIRS solution. By late summer, we had most of it ready and were planning to go live in September 2024.
Around the same time, NERIS was announced, with target date of Jan. 1, 2025. There were nearly 500 people in my department, and I knew I didn’t want to put my crews through learning a new NFIRS system, only to turn around a few months later and train them again on NERIS.
I brought the idea to our administrative chiefs and asked if we could pivot and move forward with NERIS instead. There was some hesitation about being among the first and having to work out any bugs in the process, but they trusted my judgment, I trusted Sean and his team, and we felt it would save a significant amount of time and effort and give us a chance to help shape the system early on.
Q: What was it like to be an early adopter helping shape a new reporting system?
David: It was nice that we didn’t have to start from scratch — we were able to take the work we had already done and carry it forward into the new system, which made the transition relatively easy for our team.
Being an early adopter also gave us a unique opportunity to work closely with the NERIS developers and Sean’s team to identify and resolve issues in real time. As things came up, we were able to address them quickly and help improve the system along the way.
It was nice knowing the work we did helped pave the path for other departments. We knew that by the time more agencies began adopting NERIS, many of those early challenges would already have been worked through.
Q: Why is reporting so important in the fire and EMS space?
David: Reporting is critical in fire and EMS because it documents everything we do — not just for our own protection, but for the benefit of our communities as well.
We stressed to our crews that taking the time to write clear, complete reports upfront makes a big difference. You never know who will need that information or how it will be used. You have to document each call as if you’ll be asked about it five years from now in a courtroom.
There’s also the funding component. The data we submit plays a key role in grant opportunities and other funding sources, so strong, accurate reporting directly impacts the resources departments are able to access.
Q: How did you go about training crews to use a completely different platform?
David: Some departments brought personnel in for hands-on training in groups by company or shift, but we went with video training, a format that’s been used in our department since 2001.
We had a group of firefighters who were very tech-savvy, and they helped the department film and edit short, focused training modules. Instead of asking crews to sit through long sessions, we broke everything down into smaller, digestible clips — covering things like fire reports, EMS reports, and dashboard navigation.
Those videos were available on demand, so crews could go back and review them whenever needed. The flexibility made it easier for them to learn at their own pace without disrupting daily operations.
We also did a short period where crews practiced in both systems to get comfortable and work through any issues before we made the full switch. After about a month, we turned off NFIRS and began reporting entirely in NERIS.
Q: How did your crews respond to using the new reporting system?
David: Their response was pretty positive overall, and I think it addressed many of the frustrations crews had with the previous system and made reporting much more straightforward.
There were some growing pains early on, which was to be expected, especially as crews adjusted to new selections and workflows compared to what they were used to with decades on NFIRS. But once they got into the new system, it quickly became clear how much easier it was to use.
Buy-in is always one of the biggest challenges with any kind of change in this industry, and we spent nearly a year leading up to the transition talking through what was coming and how it would make their lives easier. What really made a difference was just getting the system in front of them, and the ease of use is ultimately what won them over.
Q: What advice would you give other departments preparing for a large change?
David: Just like with any major project, you have to have a clear plan. Departments need to define timelines, outline what success looks like, and make sure they’re aligned across teams.
It’s also important to make sure your timelines are flexible — there may be roadblocks that pop up because of little reporting nuances you may not have accounted for upfront. Departments should be ready to adapt, whether that’s adjusting timelines or building out new reports and workflows as needs come up.
Ultimately, it comes down to preparation, communication, and flexibility. The quicker you can bring the right stakeholders together early and think through your reporting needs, the smoother the transition will be.
Strengthening the Future of Fire and EMS Amid Change
Change is constant in fire and EMS — and managing it effectively is key to achieving long-term success. As reporting requirements, technology, and operational demands evolve, agencies that invest in modern, flexible systems are better positioned to adapt and minimize disruption. Experiences like David’s highlight how the right technology, combined with a practical and adaptable approach, can help agencies navigate change while staying focused on day-to-day operations.