Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy ("Policy") governs the manner in which Patchen Technologies LLC, doing business as Jefferson County Fire Wire ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, maintains, and discloses information on the website jeffersonfirewire.com (the "Site") and related alert services. This Policy applies to the Site and all products and services offered by us, including SMS, email, or any future notification methods we may implement. We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for their marketing purposes.

2. Information We Collect

Personal Information for Alert Services: If you voluntarily opt-in to our alert services, we collect:

• Phone numbers (for SMS alerts)
• First and last name (optional)
• Agency/department subscription preferences
• Date and time of opt-in/opt-out
• Explicit consent confirmation and timestamp (TCPA compliance)
• Authentication codes and verification status
• IP address at time of signup (for security purposes)
• Alert type preferences (pre-alert, summary, or both)
• Quiet hours settings (if configured)

Issue Reports: If you submit data quality reports through our incident player pages, we collect:

• Issue description (up to 1000 characters)
• Issue category (transcription error, location error, etc.)
• Incident reference (call ID)
• Your phone number (if you are logged in)
• IP address, browser user agent, and URL where report was submitted
• Timestamp of submission

This information is collected only with your explicit consent and is used solely for delivering requested alerts, providing AI assistance, improving data quality, and maintaining service security. We do not collect precise location data beyond what is necessary for displaying incident maps. For information on how third-party services handle data when you interact with their services on our Site, please refer to the Third-Party Services section below.

Website Usage: We do not directly collect any personal information through general Site browsing. There are no registration forms, comment sections, or contact forms on the main Site designed to capture personally identifiable information.

Server Logs and Technical Data: Our Site is hosted on shared hosting infrastructure. In connection with your use of our Site, standard server logs are automatically generated and maintained. These logs may include your IP address, browser type, access times, pages viewed, and referring URLs. Such information is collected solely for operational and security purposes and is not used to personally identify individual users.

Third-Party Services: To provide you with a reliable, secure, and user-friendly experience, we partner with industry-leading third-party services. Each service has its own privacy practices, which we've summarized below with links to their full privacy policies:

• Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our Site so we can fix problems and improve your experience. This helps us answer questions like "Is the audio player working?", "Where do people get stuck during signup?", and "Which incident types are most viewed?". Google Analytics collects standard web analytics data including your IP address (anonymized by Google), browser type, device information, pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring websites. We also track specific interactions such as when someone plays incident audio (to ensure playback works), uses map filters (to improve the interface), or encounters errors during signup (so we can fix them). We use custom dimensions to categorize this data (like incident type or department name) to better understand patterns and improve the service. Your individual identity is never tracked - we only see aggregated patterns like "50 people viewed Structure Fire incidents today" or "15% of mobile users had trouble with the map filters." For more information, see Google's Privacy Policy and Google Analytics' data practices.
• Google Maps: Our Site incorporates embedded Google Maps on some pages for displaying incident locations. When you interact with these maps, Google may collect your IP address, device data, map interactions, and location data. See Google's Privacy Policy.
• Telnyx: We use Telnyx to deliver SMS alerts. Telnyx processes your phone number and message content to deliver alerts. See Telnyx's Privacy Policy.
• AI Service Providers: For our AI SMS Assistant feature and incident transcription, your message content may be sent to third-party AI providers for processing. These providers may retain data according to their respective privacy policies.
• Facebook: If you arrive at our Site via a Facebook post or link, Facebook may record that activity per its Privacy Policy.
• Google AdSense: We display advertisements through Google AdSense, which may use cookies and similar technologies to show you relevant ads. See Google's Advertising Privacy Policy.

We do not control how these third-party services collect, use, or share your information. Please review their respective privacy policies for details.

3. Use of Information

Alert Service Information: We use contact information provided for alert services exclusively to:

• Send fire incident alerts for your selected agencies
• Send service-related messages (e.g., confirmation of opt-in/opt-out)
• Respond to HELP requests for SMS subscribers
• Process your messages using our AI SMS Assistant when you send unrecognized text messages
• Maintain records of consent as required by law (TCPA compliance)
• Authenticate users via one-time passwords (OTP) for account access
• Provide administrative support when authorized (administrators may access your account data to provide support, with all access logged)
• Track AI usage to enforce daily message limits

AI Message Processing: When you send SMS messages that don't match standard keywords (STOP, HELP, etc.), your message content is sent to third-party AI service providers where it is processed by artificial intelligence to understand your request and generate helpful responses. This may include executing functions such as viewing your subscriptions, changing your alert preferences, or managing your account based on your requests. We limit free AI processing to 15 messages per user per day to manage costs.

Issue Reports: We use issue reports submitted through our incident pages to:

• Identify and correct data quality issues (transcription errors, incorrect locations, etc.)
• Improve our AI processing systems
• Track patterns in data quality problems
• Contact you if we need clarification about your report (if you were logged in)

Uses are strictly limited to those you have explicitly consented to. We do not engage in profiling for marketing purposes, advertising, or any use beyond the scope of emergency alert services and service improvement. All automated text messages are sent in compliance with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).

General Site Information and Analytics: Server logs, technical data, and analytics are used exclusively to improve your experience and ensure the Site works properly:

• Performance Monitoring: We track page load times, error rates, and technical issues to ensure the Site runs smoothly
• Usability Improvements: We analyze how people navigate the Site to identify confusing layouts, broken features, or difficult workflows
• Feature Development: We see which features are most used (like the map vs. list view) to prioritize improvements
• Problem Detection: We identify where users encounter errors (like failed audio playback or signup issues) so we can fix them
• Security: We monitor for unusual patterns that might indicate security threats or abuse

Important Privacy Protections:

• Analytics data is aggregated - we see patterns, not individual identities (e.g., "50 people viewed this incident" not "John Doe viewed this incident")
• IP addresses are anonymized by Google Analytics before storage
• We do not sell, trade, or rent your analytics data to third parties for marketing
• We do not combine analytics data with your alert service phone number to create profiles
• Analytics are used solely for improving this Site and service - never for unrelated marketing

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We do not use the information for marketing unrelated services.

4. Data Retention

Alert Service Data: We retain your contact information and preferences for as long as you remain subscribed to our alerts. Upon opt-out, we retain minimal information (hashed phone number using industry-standard one-way cryptographic hashing) for up to 90 days solely to honor your opt-out request and prevent inadvertent re-subscription. Consent records are retained for the period required by law (typically 4 years under TCPA). We de-identify data through hashing and anonymization techniques before deletion. After applicable retention periods, personal data is permanently deleted using secure deletion methods to ensure it cannot be recovered. We may retain data longer if required for legal proceedings or breach investigations.

AI Assistant Data: AI conversation responses are stored temporarily (typically 24-48 hours) to enable multi-turn conversations. Pending confirmation actions (e.g., "add subscription - pending YES confirmation") are stored for up to 24 hours and automatically expire if not confirmed. Daily AI usage counts are retained for 30 days. Third-party AI providers may retain your message data according to their own retention policies.

Issue Reports: Data quality reports are retained indefinitely to track long-term trends in data quality and AI performance. We may periodically review and delete resolved reports older than 2 years.

Incident Data and Audio Files: Public incident information (headlines, descriptions, locations, timestamps) and associated audio files from public radio transmissions are retained indefinitely for archival and historical reference purposes. This data is derived from public radio broadcasts and does not contain personal information.

Server Logs: Technical logs are automatically purged after 30 days unless required for security incident investigation.

Analytics Data: Analytics data collected by Google Analytics is retained according to Google's retention policies (14-26 months configurable). This retention period allows us to identify long-term trends (like seasonal usage patterns or recurring technical issues) while automatically purging older data that's no longer useful. This is an industry-standard retention period designed to balance service improvement with privacy.

5. Your Rights and Choices

You have the right to:

• Opt-out of alerts at any time by replying STOP to SMS messages
• Access and update your preferences through our self-service portal, authenticated via a one-time code sent to your registered phone number
• Request information about what personal data we have about you
• Request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Update your name or agency subscription preferences
• View your consent history and timestamps

Analytics Opt-Out Options: You can control or opt-out of analytics tracking:

• Browser Settings: Most browsers allow you to block cookies and clear existing ones. Visit your browser's settings/privacy section.
• Google Analytics Opt-Out: Install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
• Ad Personalization: Adjust ad settings in Google Ad Settings

Note: Opting out of analytics does not affect your ability to use the Site or receive SMS alerts - it only disables usage tracking.

We will respond to all rights requests within 30 days of receipt. Our self-service portal is available at https://jeffersonfirewire.com/alerting/. You may also contact us at privacy@jeffersonfirewire.com or through our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/JeffersonFireWire/.

6. SMS-Specific Terms

Mobile Information Privacy Guarantee: We will not share or sell your mobile information (including your phone number, message content, or usage data) with third parties for promotional or marketing purposes. Your mobile information is used exclusively for delivering fire alerts and managing your subscription as you have requested.

For SMS subscribers:

• Message frequency varies based on fire incident activity
• Messages may be sent using automated technology
• Standard message and data rates may apply
• Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages
• Text STOP to cancel (we also recognize QUIT, CANCEL, END, UNSUBSCRIBE)
• Text HELP for assistance
• We process all opt-out requests within 10 business days as required by TCPA regulations
• We do not charge for our SMS service, though carrier charges may apply

7. Cookies and Browser Storage

First-Party Cookies: Our Site uses minimal first-party cookies:

• Session cookies for authentication and security (HTTP-only, secure, session duration only)
• CSRF tokens for form submission security (session duration only)

Browser Storage (localStorage and sessionStorage): We use browser storage to remember your preferences and improve convenience. This data stays on your device - we never see it or send it to our servers:

• Map safety disclaimer acceptance: Remembers you've already acknowledged the safety notice so we don't show it every visit
• User interface preferences: Remembers how you like the interface (collapsible sections, filter settings) so you don't have to reconfigure it each time
• Audio player state: Resumes playback where you left off if you refresh the page (so you don't lose your place)
• Temporary form data: Prevents losing what you typed if you accidentally navigate away from a form

Privacy Note: This data is stored locally in your browser and is never transmitted to our servers. We can't see it, access it, or use it. You can clear this data at any time through your browser settings (it will just reset your preferences back to defaults).

Third-Party Cookies: The following third-party services may place cookies on your device:

• Google Analytics (analytics and performance tracking)
• Google Maps (map functionality)
• Google AdSense (advertising)
• Facebook (if arriving via Facebook referral links)

We have no control over these third-party cookies. Please refer to each service's privacy policy for details on their data practices. You can manage or block cookies through your browser settings, though this may affect Site functionality.

8. Data Security

We take data security seriously and implement multiple layers of protection to safeguard your information. We use industry-leading third-party services that maintain enterprise-grade security standards and compliance certifications.

Our security measures include:

• Industry-standard SSL/TLS encryption for all communications between your device and our servers
• Access controls limiting data access to authorized personnel only
• Secure authentication using one-time codes sent to your registered phone number
• Session security with HTTP-only and secure cookie flags
• CSRF protection for all form submissions
• Audit logging of all consent and administrative actions
• Regular monitoring of our systems for security vulnerabilities
• Secure database storage protected by authentication and access controls
• Regular security updates and patches to our hosting environment
• Rate limiting to prevent abuse of SMS and AI features

9. Children's Privacy

Our Site and services are not directed toward children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect any personal information from children. Alert services are available only to individuals 18 years or older, as verified through self-attestation during the signup process. We do not process data from children. If we discover that personal information from a child has been collected, we will promptly delete it without retaining any such data.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to modify or update this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting to this page, with the updated date shown at the top. For material changes affecting alert subscribers, we will notify active users via SMS where possible. Your continued use of the Site or alert services after any modifications constitutes your acceptance of such changes.

11. Confidentiality and Restricted Access

Some pages on this Site may not be accessible from the home page and are provided only via direct URL. Access to such pages is granted exclusively to authorized users. Any information contained on these pages is confidential and must not be shared, reproduced, or used to reverse-engineer, hack, modify, or otherwise compromise the integrity of our service.

12. No Affiliation

Jefferson County Fire Wire is operated by Patchen Technologies LLC, a New York limited liability company, located at 1385 Sunset Rdg, Watertown, NY 13601. This Site and alert services are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Jefferson County Government or any other official agency.

13. Contact Information

Patchen Technologies LLC
1385 Sunset Rdg
Watertown, NY 13601

For privacy-related inquiries, please contact us at:
Email: ethan@dispatchdb.io
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeffersonFireWire/