Privacy Policy | British Fire Consortium

1. Introduction

The British Fire Consortium ("BFC", "we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of our members, website visitors, and anyone who interacts with our services. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Data Controller

The British Fire Consortium is the data controller responsible for your personal data. If you have any questions about this policy or your data, please contact us at:

Email: secretary@britishfireconsortium.org.uk
Address: 38B Thornleigh Trading Estate, Blowers Green Road, Dudley, DY2 8UB

3. What Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

Identity data: full name, job title, company name
Contact data: email address, telephone number, postal address
Membership data: membership number, application details, membership history
Training data: course enrolments, certifications, attendance records
Financial data: payment details and transaction history for membership fees and course bookings
Technical data: IP address, browser type, operating system, and browsing behaviour on our website
Communication data: correspondence and enquiries sent to us

4. How We Collect Your Data

We collect personal data through the following means:

Membership application and renewal forms
Training course registrations
Contact and enquiry forms on our website
Email, telephone, and in-person communications
Event registration and attendance
Cookies and similar technologies on our website (see our Cookies Policy)

5. How We Use Your Data

We process your personal data for the following purposes:

To manage and administer your membership
To process training course bookings and certifications
To communicate important updates, newsletters, and event information
To process payments and maintain financial records
To respond to your enquiries and provide technical support
To display member logos on the "Our Members" section of our website
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations
To improve our website, services, and member experience

6. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your data under the following lawful bases:

Contract: processing necessary for the performance of your membership agreement or training booking
Legitimate interests: to operate and improve our services, communicate with members, and maintain a professional network
Consent: where you have given explicit consent, such as for marketing communications
Legal obligation: to comply with applicable laws and regulations

7. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your data with the following parties only where necessary:

Training and accreditation bodies (e.g., EAL) for certification purposes
Payment processors for handling transactions securely
IT and hosting providers who support our website and systems
Legal or regulatory authorities where required by law

All third parties are required to process your data securely and in accordance with applicable data protection legislation.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected. Membership records are typically retained for the duration of your membership and for a period of six years following its expiry, in line with UK legal and financial record-keeping requirements. Training records may be retained longer where required for certification purposes.

9. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:

Right of access: request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
Right to rectification: request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
Right to erasure: request deletion of your data in certain circumstances
Right to restrict processing: request that we limit how we use your data
Right to data portability: receive your data in a structured, commonly used format
Right to object: object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at secretary@britishfireconsortium.org.uk.

10. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, destruction, or alteration. Access to personal data is restricted to authorised personnel on a need-to-know basis.

11. Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

Website: ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1113

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.