The NIFRS is overseen by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Board, which in turn is subordinate to the Department of Health.

[1] NIFRS covers Northern Ireland, an area of over 5,500 square miles (14,000 km2) with a population of 1.9 million people.

[2] The firefighting units were later separated from the police to form the Belfast Fire Brigade.

[1] As of December 2023[update], Aidan Jennings is the chief fire officer of NIFRS.

He succeeds Interim Chief Fire & Rescue Officer Andy Hearn.