Fire Department Reporting Procedures

Local fire departments are encouraged to input their fire reports weekly into MEFIRS, if possible. If this isn't possible, data must be submitted within the quarter of the year as described within the Quarterly State Data Submission and Release Dates listed by the U.S. Fire Administration.

If a department is unable to respond to an incident, or if they were cancelled before apparatus left the station, no NFIRS report is needed. However, Richard Taylor has created an Excel spreadsheet for years 2020-2025 so departments can document when they couldn't respond to an incident: Non-responded calls (Excel). This documentation may help with determining if more personnel are needed, or if mutual aid agreements need to be modified.

Quarterly State Data Submission and Release Dates

  • 1st Quarter: April 1st
  • 2nd Quarter: July 1st
  • 3rd Quarter: October 1st
  • 4th Quarter: January 1st

If no incidents were made during the month, a report of "no activity" should be submitted to the state for the reporting period.

Local departments using third-party reporting programs are encouraged to electronically submit their export data files to MEFIRS State Administrator Richard Taylor on a monthly basis. Using email provides the opportunity for immediate communication on the validity and completeness of the data and guidance for any corrections or modifications. Departments should follow the guidelines associated with their respective reporting software in preparing their incident data exports, and make sure their data exports are submitted in the "NFIRS Export Type." Incident data exports should be emailed to:

Richard Taylor
Office of State Fire Marshal
MEFIRS State Administrator
richard.e.taylor@maine.gov

Annual State Data Submission and Release Cutoff Date

Fire departments may revise, correct and resubmit data to Richard Taylor for the previous calendar data year until the annual data submission deadline on July 1st. After July 1 of each year, Richard will compile and release into public domain the annual national NFIRS database for the previous calendar year.