Privacy Policy
Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) Compliance
1. Responsible Party
The responsible party for the processing of personal information on this website is:
[Community volunteer — to be specified]
Broederstroom / Hartbeeshoek Road (R3) area
Madibeng Municipality, North West Province, South Africa
2. Information We Collect
We may collect the following categories of personal information:
2.1 Form Submissions
- Membership applications: Name, contact details, property information, and other details required for FPA membership processing. This information is forwarded to the Madibeng Fire Protection Association (MFPA) for processing.
- Burning permit requests: Name, contact details, property information, and burn details as required for permit applications.
2.2 Alert Subscriptions
- Email address: If you subscribe to receive fire alerts via email
- Phone number: If you subscribe to receive fire alerts via WhatsApp
2.3 Camera Images
- The fire detection system captures images from cameras for environmental monitoring purposes (fire and smoke detection). These cameras are not intended for personal surveillance. However, images may incidentally contain identifiable individuals or vehicles.
3. Purpose of Processing
Personal information is processed for the following purposes:
- FPA membership processing: Form submissions are forwarded to the MFPA for membership administration
- Fire alert subscriptions: Email addresses and phone numbers are used to send fire detection alerts
- Fire detection: Camera images are analysed for signs of fire or smoke to generate alerts
4. Legal Basis for Processing
We process personal information based on explicit consent. All forms use unchecked checkboxes that require your active opt-in before submission. You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting the Information Officer.
5. Data Retention
| Data Type | Retention Period |
|---|---|
| Form submissions (membership, permits) | 5 years from date of submission |
| Alert subscriptions (email, phone) | Until you unsubscribe or request deletion |
| Camera images (non-alert) | 7 days, then automatically deleted |
| Camera images (alert-triggering) | Up to 1 year for record-keeping purposes |
6. Cross-Border Data Transfers
Camera images are processed via the Google Gemini API for AI-based fire detection analysis. Google's servers may be located outside of South Africa. By using this website and its fire detection services, you acknowledge that camera image data may be transferred to and processed in jurisdictions outside of South Africa.
We take reasonable steps to ensure that any cross-border transfer of personal information complies with the requirements of POPIA, including ensuring that the recipient provides an adequate level of protection for the data.
7. Data Subject Rights
Under POPIA, you have the right to:
- Access: Request confirmation of whether we hold your personal information and request a copy of it
- Correction: Request that inaccurate or incomplete personal information be corrected or updated
- Deletion: Request that your personal information be deleted where it is no longer necessary for the purpose it was collected
- Object: Object to the processing of your personal information on reasonable grounds
- Withdraw consent: Withdraw your consent to the processing of your personal information at any time
To exercise any of these rights, please contact the Information Officer using the details provided above.
8. Cookies
This website uses session cookies only. Session cookies are necessary for the website to function correctly and are automatically deleted when you close your browser. We do not use tracking cookies, analytics cookies, or any third-party cookies for advertising or profiling purposes.
9. Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or alteration. However, no method of electronic storage or transmission is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
10. Changes to This Policy
This privacy policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The date of the most recent update is shown below. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
11. Complaints
If you believe that your personal information has been processed in violation of POPIA, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (South Africa):
- Website: https://inforegulator.org.za
- Email: complaints.IR@justice.gov.za
Last updated: April 2025