Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Effective date: August 26, 2026

Short Gap Volunteer Fire Company (“Short Gap VFC,” “the Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects the privacy of visitors to shortgapvfc.org.

This Privacy Policy explains the types of information that may be collected through the website, how that information may be used and shared, how payment and analytics services may process information, and the choices available to visitors.

1. Information You Provide

We may collect information that you voluntarily submit through:

• Contact forms.

• Volunteer-interest forms.

• Event registrations.

• Ticket purchases.

• Donations.

• Fundraising activities.

• Merchandise transactions.

• Other website features.

Information may include your:

• Name.

• Email address.

• Telephone number.

• Mailing address.

• Message or inquiry.

• Volunteer interests.

• Emergency-service experience.

• Registration information.

• Transaction information.

• Other information you choose to provide.

Please do not submit sensitive personal, medical, financial, or emergency information through a general website form unless specifically requested through an appropriate secure process.

2. Emergency Communications

This website, its forms, email addresses, and social-media accounts are not emergency reporting systems and are not continuously monitored.

For emergencies, call 911.

Submitting information through this website does not create an emergency dispatch request.

3. Automatically Collected Information

The website and its hosting, security, analytics, or related systems may automatically collect standard technical information such as:

• IP address.

• Browser type.

• Device type.

• Operating system.

• Referring page or website.

• Pages viewed.

• Approximate location derived from an IP address.

• Dates and times of visits.

• Error or security information.

Server logs may be retained for security, troubleshooting, system administration, abuse prevention, diagnostics, and operational purposes.

4. Matomo Analytics and Cookies

When enabled, Short Gap VFC uses Matomo Analytics to better understand website traffic, improve content, evaluate website performance, and identify how visitors use the site.

Depending on configuration, Matomo may process information such as:

• IP address.

• Page views.

• Referring information.

• Browser and device information.

• Visit activity.

• Approximate location.

• Download and outbound-link activity.

The website administrator may configure privacy-focused Matomo features, including cookieless tracking, administrator exclusions, browser exclusions, or other analytics controls.

Analytics configuration may change as Short Gap VFC evaluates privacy, security, and operational needs.

5. Events, Panovents, and Third-Party Widgets

The website may display or link to event, ticketing, registration, donation, raffle, fundraising, or checkout functionality provided by Panovents or another third-party platform.

These services may be embedded within the website or may open on another website.

Information submitted directly to a third-party platform is processed according to that provider’s own privacy policy, terms, security practices, and legal obligations.

Third-party platforms may provide Short Gap VFC with transaction, registration, event, donor, attendee, or customer information necessary to administer the related activity.

6. Stripe and Payment Information

When online payments are enabled, electronic transactions may be processed by Stripe or another approved payment processor.

Short Gap VFC does not intend to receive or store complete payment-card numbers through its general website systems.

Payment information submitted directly to a payment processor is handled under that processor’s:

• Privacy policy.

• Security practices.

• Fraud-prevention procedures.

• Legal obligations.

• Applicable payment-card security requirements, including PCI DSS where applicable.

A payment processor may collect information such as:

• Card or account information.

• Billing information.

• Identity information.

• Fraud-prevention information.

• Device and browser information.

• IP address.

• Transaction information.

Short Gap VFC may receive limited transaction-related information necessary to administer the payment or related activity. This may include:

• Purchaser or donor name.

• Email address.

• Telephone number.

• Billing or contact information when applicable.

• Transaction amount.

• Transaction date.

• Transaction or payment identifier.

• Order or registration number.

• Payment status.

• Refund status.

• Limited payment-method information, such as card brand or last digits, when supplied by the processor.

Short Gap VFC may use this transaction-related information for purposes such as:

• Receipts.

• Reconciliation.

• Accounting.

• Fraud prevention.

• Customer service.

• Refund processing.

• Event administration.

• Donation records.

• Legal or regulatory compliance.

Visitors should never send complete payment-card numbers, bank-account credentials, security codes, PINs, or passwords through general website forms or email.

7. How Information May Be Used

Information may be used to:

• Respond to questions and requests.

• Review volunteer interest.

• Communicate about membership opportunities.

• Administer events and registrations.

• Process or document donations.

• Support ticket and merchandise transactions.

• Process refunds and transaction corrections.

• Send transactional or operational communications.

• Maintain website and account security.

• Prevent spam, fraud, abuse, or unauthorized access.

• Improve website content, accessibility, functionality, and performance.

• Maintain financial and operational records.

• Comply with legal, insurance, accounting, regulatory, public-safety, or recordkeeping obligations.

8. Information Sharing

We may share information when reasonably necessary with:

• Authorized Short Gap VFC officers.

• Authorized members or volunteers.

• Website and hosting providers.

• Email providers.

• Analytics providers.

• Payment processors.

• Event or ticketing platforms.

• Accountants.

• Insurers.

• Attorneys or professional advisers.

• Government or regulatory authorities.

• Law-enforcement or emergency authorities where appropriate.

• Other service providers necessary to conduct department operations.

Short Gap VFC does not sell personal information.

Information may also be disclosed when reasonably necessary to comply with law, respond to lawful process, investigate fraud or abuse, protect public safety, enforce website policies, or protect the rights and property of Short Gap VFC or others.

9. Data Retention

Information may be retained for as long as reasonably necessary for:

• The purpose for which it was collected.

• Department operations.

• Event administration.

• Donation and financial records.

• Accounting.

• Legal compliance.

• Insurance.

• Dispute resolution.

• Security.

• Fraud prevention.

• Backups.

• Recordkeeping.

Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and applicable legal or operational requirements.

10. Security

Short Gap VFC uses reasonable administrative and technical safeguards intended to protect website information and systems.

However, no website, email service, storage system, network, or internet transmission can be guaranteed completely secure.

Visitors should avoid sending highly sensitive personal, financial, medical, or emergency information through ordinary email or general-purpose website forms.

11. Children’s Privacy

This website is intended for a general audience and is not designed to knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without appropriate authorization.

A parent or legal guardian should contact Short Gap VFC if they believe a child submitted personal information through the website and would like the information reviewed or removed, subject to applicable legal and operational retention requirements.

12. External Links

The website may link to services or websites operated by Facebook, Panovents, Stripe, government agencies, partner organizations, vendors, sponsors, or other third parties.

Short Gap VFC does not control and is not responsible for the privacy, security, availability, content, or practices of third-party services.

Visitors should review the privacy policies and terms of third-party services before providing personal information.

13. Your Choices

You may choose not to submit optional information through this website.

You may contact Short Gap VFC to request correction or deletion of personal information you previously submitted, subject to:

• Legal requirements.

• Transaction records.

• Accounting requirements.

• Insurance requirements.

• Security needs.

• Department operational needs.

• Backup systems.

• Other legitimate record-retention obligations.

Analytics and browser privacy controls may also provide additional choices depending on your browser and the website’s current configuration.

14. Policy Changes

Short Gap VFC may revise this Privacy Policy as its website, services, vendors, legal requirements, or operational practices change.

The effective date at the top of this policy will be updated when material revisions are made.

15. Contact

Questions about this Privacy Policy may be directed to:

Short Gap Volunteer Fire Company
Station 34
Phone: (304) 726-4388
Email: [email protected]