Privacy policy
Last updated:
Who we are
BeforeYouBurn.com, the BeforeYouBurn app, BeforeYouBurn text messages and PublicFireSafety.com are owned and operated by Public Fire Safety, LLC ("PFS", "we"). This policy explains what we collect when you use BeforeYouBurn, why, who can see it and what you can do about it.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for advertising.
What we collect
| What | When | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The address or place you look up | When you check the burn status | To answer for that location. See "Status lookups" below |
| Your phone number or email address | When you sign in, register a burn or subscribe to notices | To prove it is yours (a one-time code) and to contact you about your burns |
| Your name | When you register a burn | So the fire agency knows who is burning |
| The burn location, day, activity and your answers to the agency's questions | When you register a burn | So the agencies covering that location know about the burn and can respond to it |
| Check-in, "not burning", "burn is out" and cancellations | When you report them | To keep your burn's record current for the agencies |
| Notification choices and delivery records | When you subscribe or we send a message | To send only what you asked for and to keep a record of what was sent |
| Technical data such as your IP address and browser type | When you use the website or app | To run the service securely and to stop abuse |
You can check the burn status without an account and without giving us any personal information.
Status lookups
When you look up a location, we keep the lookup for 90 days, with the location rounded to a grid so it does not point to your exact address. After that we keep only totals, such as the number of lookups per area and day. Agencies and reports see these totals, never your individual lookup.
Who can see your information
Access depends on who is asking and what it is for.
| Who | What they can see |
|---|---|
| You | Everything about your own burns |
| The response agencies and authorities that cover your burn's location | Your name and contact details and the burn's details, for response and dispatch in their area. You agree to this when you register a burn |
| Those agencies' dispatch and mapping (GIS) systems | The same details, limited to their area, only if the agency has chosen to receive them |
| A state agency acting as a response authority | The details it needs for dispatch in its area, only if it has chosen to receive them |
| Other state agencies, sponsors and statewide reports | Only aggregated or de-identified information that does not identify you |
| The public and other residents | No individual burn locations and no names. Only maps and counts of total activity. A burn certificate can be checked for validity, but it shows no contact details |
When we publish counts, such as the number of burns near a place, we hold back any count that could identify a person, for example a single burn in a sparsely populated area.
We may also disclose information when the law requires it.
Service providers
We use a small number of service providers to run BeforeYouBurn, for example to host the service, to deliver email, and to send text messages and sign-in codes. They may use your information only to provide that service to us.
Text messages and SMS privacy
We send text messages only after you agree to receive them. The SMS terms explain which messages you get and how to stop them.
Mobile phone numbers and text-message opt-in data and consent are never shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.
How long we keep information
| Record | How long |
|---|---|
| Status lookups | 90 days, with the location rounded to a grid; after that, totals only |
| Burns and registrations | Your identity is kept for 3 years, then removed from the record. The burn record itself is kept without your name or contact details |
| Records of notifications we sent | At least 90 days |
| Decisions agencies make about burn status, alerts and permits | Kept permanently, because they are the official record of what was allowed and when |
Exporting and deleting your information
You can download your information and delete your account yourself, from your account page.
When you delete your account:
- your sign-in details (phone numbers and email addresses), your account and your sessions are removed immediately;
- your contact details on a registration for a burn day that is still active or in the future are kept until that day ends, so the agencies can respond to that burn, and are then deleted;
- your contact details on older registrations are deleted immediately, unless a public-records law requires the agency's records to be kept. In that case they are kept only for the required period, hidden from everyone except through a formal records request.
The burn records themselves stay, without your name or contact details, because agencies need them.
Security
Information is encrypted when it travels over the internet and when it is stored. Access inside PFS is limited to the people who need it, and actions by staff are recorded. Phone numbers, email addresses and sign-in codes are removed from our error and activity logs.
No method of storing or sending information is completely secure, but we work to protect yours.
Cookies
The BeforeYouBurn information pages, such as this one, set no cookies.
When you use beforeyouburn.com to check the status or sign in, we use only cookies that the service needs to work:
| Cookie | Purpose | How long |
|---|---|---|
pfs_session |
Keeps you signed in | Until you sign out or the session expires |
pfs_lang |
Remembers the language you chose (English or Spanish) | 1 year |
We do not use analytics, advertising or tracking cookies. You can block cookies in your browser, but then you cannot stay signed in.
Children
BeforeYouBurn is meant for adults who are responsible for an outdoor burn. By registering a burn, you confirm that you are at least the age of majority where you live.
Links to other sites
Our pages link to fire agencies and other sites. Their privacy practices are their own; please read their policies.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy. The date at the top shows the latest version. If we make an important change, we will say so on this page and, where we can, tell people with an account.
If PFS is sold or merged with another company, your information may be transferred to the new owner, who must keep following this policy.
Questions, corrections and complaints
To ask about your information, correct it, or make a complaint, contact our privacy officer:
- Email: info@publicfiresafety.com
- Mail: Public Fire Safety, Privacy Compliance, PO Box 31, Bend, Oregon 97703