Fire Service Data and Tech Talk: The Path Forward with Tom Jenkins

Fire Engineering Podcast Network

The Path Forward with Tom Jenkins
In this episode of Fire Service Data and Tech Talk, host Eddie Buchanan welcomes Tom Jenkins, senior advisor/research manager for UL Fire Safety Research Institute on the NERIS project. They discuss the transformation of fire service data collection and technology through the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS). Jenkins shares his experience leading this groundbreaking project, explaining why accurate, timely data is a game changer for firefighter safety, resource allocation, and community risk reduction.

They talk about NERIS’s modernization of decades-old practices with a firefighter-focused, adaptable platform that integrates seamlessly with existing systems ranging from rural volunteer departments to large metropolitan agencies. The discussion also reveals cultural hurdles around data in the fire service and stresses the crucial role of peer support and education in smooth transitions. With onboarding underway regionally and the old system sunsetting by the year’s end, departments must take action to avoid gaps in data reporting.