By Travis Andersen GLOBE STAFF   APRIL 04, 2016

The city of Boston is using data and digital technology to improve firefighting and other vital services, according to a report from the Harvard Kennedy School released on Monday. The 12-page brief from the Rappaport Institute at the Kennedy School is entitled “City Hall’s Data and Technology Journey: Using Data to Improve the Lives of Citizens.” Authored by executive director Steve Poftak, the report tracks “how the City’s efforts have improved firefighting, business permitting, and the flow of traffic,” the institute said in a statement. On the firefighting front, electronic data from the city’s Inspectional Services Division on building hazards, combined with the Fire Department’s own hazard reports, was recently made available to dispatchers, said Fire Commissioner Joseph Finn.

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