Purpose. Fire automatics is the technical basis for ensuring fire safety of objects of various purposes and types of ownership in Russia. In this regard, monitoring promising scientific and technical developments in this area is an important component of organizing and implementing educational, methodological and scientific-research activities of EMERCOM of Russia. The purpose of the article is to develop a methodology for selecting relevant information in the field of fire automatics. The tasks include formation of initial requirements for conducting such selection, as well as working out proposals for forming a structured information base to identify promising developments in fire automatics. The object of the study is the information base in the field of automatics and computer technology, the subject is technical information in the field of fire automatics. Methods. Methods of system analysis and synthesis of information systems are used. Findings. The authors have substantiated the directions and depth of search for technical information in the field of fire automatics and also determined the requirements for the content of the selected information, which should include details about the technical and technological parameters of the research object and its components. It is proposed to use the method of combined graph-matrix coding to form the information base. A basic classifier matrix for the fire automatic system has been developed, ensuring the implementation of the following main characteristics of the information base: efficiency, information content, reliability and orderliness. Research application field. The analysis of the collected information materials and its use in scientific and educational practice will ensure an increase in the effectiveness of scientific developments in this area, as well as the quality of the educational process of training fire safety specialists at various levels. Conclusions. The tasks of studying the current state of fire automatics considered in the article make it possible to determine the basic initial requirements for monitoring promising developments in this area. Potential sources of information and search depth are identified. The requirements for the content of the selected information on the main sources and patent information are substantiated.