Electronic Reporting (CERS)

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING INVENTORY REPORTING IN CERS:  Effective December 28, 2017, CalEPA will be replacing the existing five (5) federal hazard categories available in CERS used for the completion of chemical inventories as part of the annual hazardous materials business plan submittal with twenty-four (24) new federal hazard categories adopted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) as a result of changes to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard (HCS).

Background Information

Business Guidance

San Bernardino County Fire CERS Help Line Number Now Available 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday Phone 909.386.8432

All facilities must submit all three business plan submittal elements by March 1 of every year. Please click here for more information.

The California Environmental Reporting System (CERS) website is available for use and must now be used to electronically submit all Unified Program-related data, including updates to the Business Emergency / Contingency Plan. Submitting electronically through CERS consists of reporting the same information that has been reported on paper forms. The difference is that most information will be entered into fields on a computer screen rather than written or typed on a paper form. Documents such as the facility maps will be scanned and uploaded as pdf documents. Refer to the CUPA Forms section of our Policies and Procedures page for more information about what information is entered directly into CERS and what is uploaded as a pdf form.

What is CERS?

The California Environmental Reporting System, or CERS, is a statewide, web-based system designed to support businesses and Unified Program Agencies (UPAs) with electronically reporting, collecting, and managing hazardous materials-related data as mandated by the California Health and Safety Code.

The State will manage the California Environmental Reporting System (CERS), and the responsibility for the implementation currently falls with Cal/EPA. For more information you may want to review the fact sheets at CalEPA.

Getting Started

Follow these steps to begin submitting your CUPA information electronically through CERS.

1. Locate a Computer Capable of Accessing the CERS Website
   Since CERS is a web-based system, you must have a computer with Internet access. The computer must also have a fairly current web browser such as Internet Explorer 8 or higher, Firefox 3.6 or higher, Google Chrome 17 or higher, or Safari 5.1 or higher. If you don’t have ready access to a computer, one option is to make an appointment with our CERS help desk staff. You can then use one of our computers here at the Office of the State Fire Marshal, with the additional benefit of having someone readily available to assist you. To make an appointment, contact our CERS help desk.


2. Obtain Email Address
   An email address is required in order to create and activate a CERS account, and a CERS account is required in order to use the CERS website. If you don’t have an email address, there are a number of free email account services available. For more information or for other options that may be available, please contact our CERS help desk.


3. Contact Us to Establish Your CERS Record for You
   Contact our CERS help desk so that we can create the facility record in CERS for you. For some facilities we are able to include certain basic information such as contact names and numbers. You will need to submit an “Access Request” form in order to gain access if your facility’s CERS record includes this information. For other facilities, the only information we could enter is the facility name and address. Please contact the CERS help desk to find out your CERS ID and determine whether an Access Request form is required. The Access Request form is available online on our Policies and Procedures page. If you can’t obtain a copy from the website, please contact our CERS help desk and ask that a copy be mailed to you.


4. Create a CERS account
   You must have a CERS account before you can log in to CERS. The account is free, and each person accessing CERS must have his or her own account. When you create the account you will choose a username and password. Although you can go directly to the CERS site to create an account, it is easier if you first contact our CERS help desk. After providing some basic information such as name, phone, and email address, we can have CERS send you an emailed invitation that includes a link to set up an account. After creating your account, you will receive a second email. Follow the instructions in this email to activate your CERS account. If you don’t receive the CERS emails, be sure to check your junk email or spam folder. To ensure proper delivery of all CERS-related emails, please add cers@calepa.ca.gov and Efile@sbcfire.org to your address book or safe senders list.


5. Sign in to CERS and Start Entering Information
   Go to the CERS website and click on “Business Portal Sign In” to sign in to CERS. Use the username and password that you chose when you created your CERS account. After you sign in you will see your facility record(s) and can begin entering information. Some of the information will be typed into fields. Documents such as the site map and your Emergency/Contingency Plan must be scanned and uploaded as PDF documents. If you have any questions about using CERS or if you don't have access to a scanner, contact the CERS help desk for assistance.

The San Bernardino County Fire CERS help desk is available by phone every weekday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., or by email at efile@sbcfire.org.

If you have any questions, contact the San Bernardino Fire CERS help line at 909.386.8432 or email Efile@sbcfire.org.

Forms for requesting access to a CERS record created by San Bernardino County CUPA:

Instructions for filling out Access Request

Access Request to Facility Record in CERS-Single Facility Form

Access Request to Facility Records in CERS-Multiple Facilities Form

Responsibilities of Lead Users