{"id":17476,"date":"2016-11-18T07:08:32","date_gmt":"2016-11-18T12:08:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/fighting-fire-with-digital-data-boston-fire-department-in-the-21st-century\/"},"modified":"2016-11-18T12:51:44","modified_gmt":"2016-11-18T17:51:44","slug":"fighting-fire-with-digital-data-boston-fire-department-in-the-21st-century","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/fighting-fire-with-digital-data-boston-fire-department-in-the-21st-century\/","title":{"rendered":"Fighting fire with digital data: Boston Fire Department in the 21st Century"},"content":{"rendered":"

DIGITAL DATA AND THE CITY: GROUNDWORK FOR A NEW APPROACH<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Mayor Marty Walsh entered office in Boston in 2014, he made it a priority to integrate technology and data-driven approaches into the City\u2019s work.[1]<\/a> Walsh pushed for City permits and records to be digitized, and he called for making data from these systems available for analysis. Walsh also commissioned a new team called Citywide Analytics (CA) to bring the power of digital data to everything the city does.<\/p>\n

\"Mayor<\/a>
(Mayor Marty Walsh reviews his data dashboard)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

CA aims to improve quality of life and enhance City operations through four major pillars: performance and process management, pilots and product development, data visualization, and open data\/public engagement.[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

The team helps transition City data to digital settings and partners with agencies to analyze data and design new tools, creating tremendous opportunity for change in operating models.[3]<\/a> The Boston Fire Department (BFD) was one of CA\u2019s first targets for digital innovation, and its operating model has shifted to incorporate powerful new approaches.<\/p>\n

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FIRED UP AND READY TO GO<\/strong><\/p>\n

Historically, BFD has responded to calls without knowing the details of the buildings or any surrounding hazards, sending a standard response team. CA worked to build Building Intelligence System (BIS) to solve this problem.[4]<\/a><\/p>\n

BIS is a set of computer-based interactive maps that allows BFD to see the location of each engine. It also shows building floor plans, fire hydrants, and any potential hazards in the area\u2014from dangerous chemicals in a nearby laboratory to buildings currently under construction. BIS draws data from seven separate City data sets and overlays in onto a Google Maps platform, so that it is easy to use.[5]<\/a><\/p>\n

\"BFD<\/a>
(BFD dispatch, with BIS system)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

BIS has changed BFD\u2019s operating model by allowing for optimization of dispatch based on location of vehicles and identified hazards. It also empowers firefighters to make informed decisions about hazards and how to mitigate them as they rush to the scene.\u00a0Putting data in the hands of firefighters lets them make data-driven decisions and improves their safety and effectiveness.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will put [data] at the fingertips of firefighters so they are not walking into a building blind\u201d – Fire Commissioner Joseph E. Finn[6]<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

BFD also created a new data dashboard, FireStat, that allows firefighters to see their work schedules more easily and allows executives to monitor shift swapping and to flag firefighters who are working more than the designated number of hours.[7]<\/a> This has been critical for reducing unsafe overtime work hours and spotting errors early. [8]<\/a><\/p>\n


\nSPARKING CHANGE: IMPLEMENTATION LESSON AT BFD<\/strong><\/p>\n

BFD\u2019s changes in operating model have been successful, but they were not without challenges. Digital integration in the public sector requires overcoming resistance to change among employees in historically unchanging working environments.<\/p>\n

To get buy-in, CA partnered very deeply, holding meetings with BFD leaders and firefighters to understand their needs. The digital tools created were designed to respond to specific challenges and friction points cited, which helped created interest and buy-in for the changes versus new tools imposed top-down.[9]<\/a>\u00a0This demonstrates investments in change management that must accompany efforts for digitization. Per a CA team member speaking at a panel at HKS:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really about the people \u2013 government technology often fails with implementation\u2026the trust and collaboration with people affected by the implementation of data driven systems is just as important as the data behind the innovative idea.<\/strong>\u201d[10]<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n


\nSTOKING THE FIRE: NEXT FRONTIERS FOR BFD\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

BFD is poised to build on its success, pushing forward with adapting its operating model to take advantage of digital tools. Including:<\/p>\n