ALERTWest Privacy Policy

Effective Date: March 11, 2024

Introduction

ALERTWest is committed to protecting the privacy of our customers. This policy outlines our practices regarding the collection, use, and sharing of your personal information in compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and other relevant laws.

What Information We Collect

ALERTWest collects information to deliver and enhance our services. This collection happens in various ways and is used responsibly, adhering to privacy laws:

1. Information You Provide Directly:
   • Account Setup: When you create an account or interact with our services, we collect details like your name, job title, company name, address, phone number, and email.
   • Customer Support and Feedback: Communications with our team, feedback, and interaction histories help us improve service quality and address your needs.
   • Site and Camera Location Information: We collect information you provide about your site and camera locations, including geographic coordinates and descriptions, to tailor our services accurately to your needs.
   • Geospatial Data and Shapefiles: We collect geospatial data and shapefiles you provide, relating to areas of operational interest. This information is used to enhance and customize the ALERTWest Service according to your specific requirements.
   • Integration Data: We collect information necessary for integrating ALERTWest with other systems or platforms used by the customer, such as API keys, data formats, or protocol details.
2. Automatically Collected Information:
   • Camera Network Configuration and Data: Includes authentication details, geographic location, metadata, and network settings to ensure connectivity and functionality.
   • Website and Service Usage Data: When visiting our website or using our services, we collect data such as user demographics, referral URLs, visit duration, browser type, operating system, and mobile network information. This data helps us understand user behavior and improve website functionality.
   • Device Information and Access Details: We collect information about the devices accessing our services, including IP addresses, device settings, and GPS locations to optimize service delivery and ensure security.
3. Information from Third Parties:
   • Marketing Data: We may receive information such as email and postal addresses from third parties for targeted marketing and outreach efforts.
   • Referral Information: When existing customers refer new clients, we collect information provided about these new potential customers to facilitate contact and service offerings.
   • Partnerships and Integrations: Data received from partners or third-party services integrated with our platform can include additional user metrics, service usage data, and enhanced analytics.
4. Imagery and Environmental Data:
   • Operational Camera Data: We collect and analyze imagery from deployed camera systems to monitor environmental conditions, detect potential hazards, and ensure the efficient operation of our services.
5. Interaction and Behavioral Data:
   • Customer Service Interactions: Detailed records of interactions with our support teams is collected to resolve issues, provide assistance, and improve service quality.
   • User Navigation and Preferences: Analysis of how users navigate our platforms and their preferences to tailor user experiences and develop more effective services.

How We Use Your Information

ALERTWest uses the information collected through various methods for multiple purposes, all aimed at delivering and improving our services, maintaining security, and complying with legal obligations:

1. Service Provision and Customization:
   • To set up and maintain your ALERTWest account.
   • To ensure our services are tailored to meet your specific needs and preferences.
   • To manage and optimize our camera networks, ensuring accurate environmental monitoring and data collection.
2. Communication and Customer Service:
   • To communicate with you about your account, service changes, updates, and other important notices.
   • To respond to your inquiries, support requests, and feedback.
   • To inform you about new features, products, services, and promotional offers that might interest you.
3. Service Improvement and Development:
   • To analyze how our services are used and how they perform to identify areas for improvement and develop new features.
   • To conduct research and analytics in order to understand market trends and customer needs better.
4. Marketing and Customer Engagement:
   • To conduct marketing efforts, including targeted advertising and promotional campaigns.
   • To understand customer demographics, interests, and behavior to tailor marketing strategies.
5. Security and Fraud Prevention:
   • To monitor and analyze data to detect and prevent fraudulent or illegal activities.
   • To enhance the security and integrity of our services and protect against cybersecurity threats.
6. Compliance and Legal Obligations:
   • To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes.
   • To respond to requests from public and governmental authorities, including those outside your country of residence.
7. Feedback and Surveys:
   • To solicit feedback to improve our services and user experience.
   • To conduct surveys and research studies to better understand your needs and the effectiveness of our services.
8. Data Analysis and Business Insights:
   • To perform data analysis, audits, and other internal functions to enhance our services.
   • To develop business insights and strategies based on aggregated data and market research.

How ALERTWest Shares Your Information

At ALERTWest, we understand the importance of your privacy. Here's how we handle your information responsibly:

1. Internal Sharing for Business Operations:
   • Team Collaboration: We limit internal access to your personal information to employees who require it to perform their job functions, such as customer service, software development, and system maintenance.
   • Policy and Procedure Compliance: Our internal data-sharing practices are guided by company policies and procedures designed to safeguard your information.
2. Collaboration with Trusted Service Providers:
   • Specialized Partners: We partner with selected third-party companies that assist us in service provision, including infrastructure support, analysis, and payment processing.
   • Operational Support: External firms may assist with data storage, consolidation, and secure processing to improve our platform's efficiency and security.
3. Compliance and Legal Obligations:
   • Regulatory Compliance: We may disclose information if required by regulatory authorities, court orders, or legal processes to comply with our legal obligations.
   • Safety and Rights Protection: When necessary, we share information to protect against harm to the rights, property, or safety of ALERTWest, our users, or the public as permitted by law.
4. Strategic Business Movements:
   • Asset Transfers: In the event of a business deal such as a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, customer information is typically part of the transferred business assets but remains subject to the promises made in the pre-existing privacy policy (unless the customer consents otherwise).
5. Consensual Sharing Based on User Choices:
   • User-Directed Sharing: We share your information with third parties when you instruct us to do so or provide explicit consent. This can include sharing data for third-party services that enhance your experience with our platform.
6. Anonymized Data for Improvement and Analysis:
   • Insight and Innovation: We may use and share data in an anonymized or aggregated form for operational analysis, market research, or service enhancement, ensuring individual users cannot be identified.

Your Rights Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), codified in the California Civil Code sections 1798.100 to 1798.199, grants California residents specific rights regarding their personal information. ALERTWest respects these rights and provides you with the means to exercise them.

For the purposes of this section, a "California resident" is defined as an individual who resides in California, but not including those who are in the state for a temporary or transitory purpose, and individuals domiciled in California who are outside the state for a temporary or transitory purpose.

If you identify as a California resident, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

1. Right to Know (Section 1798.110):
   • You have the right to request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information ALERTWest has collected about you, the sources from which that information is collected, the business purposes for collecting or selling the information, and the categories of third parties with whom the information is shared.
2. Right to Delete (Section 1798.105):
   • You have the right to request the deletion of your personal information held by ALERTWest and our service providers, subject to certain exceptions provided by law, such as where the information is needed to complete a transaction or comply with legal obligations.
3. Right to Opt-Out of the Sale of Personal Information (Section 1798.120):
   • Although ALERTWest does not sell personal information, you have the right to direct a business that sells personal information to stop selling your information. If we ever change our practices, you will be provided with the appropriate opt-out and opt-in rights as required by the CCPA.
4. Right to Non-Discrimination (Section 1798.125):
   • You have the right not to receive discriminatory treatment by ALERTWest for exercising your privacy rights under the CCPA. This means we cannot deny goods or services, charge different prices, or provide a different level or quality of services just because you exercised your rights.
5. Right to Designate an Authorized Agent (Section 1798.102):
   • You have the right to designate an authorized agent to make requests under the CCPA on your behalf. To do this, we may require verification of your identity and confirmation of the agent’s authority.
6. Right to Access and Data Portability (Section 1798.100):
   • Upon a verifiable request, you have the right to receive a copy of the specific pieces of personal information that we have collected about you in a format that is readily useable and allows you to transmit the information to another entity without hindrance.

Exercising Your CCPA Rights

To exercise any of your rights under the CCPA, please submit a verifiable request to us by:

• Emailing customerprivacy@ALERTWest.org.
• Sending a written request to Customer Privacy Advocate, ALERTWest, Inc., 1065 Marauder St., Chico, CA 95973.

Please note that we may need to verify your identity before processing your request, which may include confirming account information or providing other identifying details. You can make a verifiable consumer request up to two times within a 12-month period.

Data Retention Policy

Purpose of Data Retention: ALERTWest retains personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Our retention periods are based on business needs and legal requirements.

Retention Periods: We retain personal information for different periods of time depending on the type of information, the nature of the relationship, and the requirements of applicable law. For example, we may retain certain account information for the duration of the account's existence and for a period after closure to comply with legal obligations and resolve disputes.

Data Disposal: Upon expiration of the retention period, personal information is securely deleted or anonymized, unless further retention is required for legal or auditing reasons. We take appropriate measures to ensure that your information is treated securely and in accordance with this privacy policy.

Children's Privacy

Service Not Directed to Children: ALERTWest's services are not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from children under 13 or knowingly allow such persons to register for our services. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under age 13 without parental consent, we will delete that information as quickly as possible.

Parental Control: If you are a parent or guardian and you believe that your child under the age of 13 has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us at customerprivacy@ALERTWest.org. We encourage parents and guardians to observe, participate in, and monitor and guide their children's online activity.

Cookie Policy

Contact Information

For privacy inquiries or requests, contact customerprivacy@ALERTWest.org or mail to Customer Privacy Advocate, ALERTWest, Inc., 1065 Marauder St., Chico, CA 95973.

Requests for information can be made twice per year, free of charge. Certain requests may be subject to an additional fee.