Privacy Policy

1.0   Purpose of Fire Marque’s Privacy Policy

Fire Marque Inc. is a Canadian company licenced in all provinces and territories. Through its Indemnification Technology® process, Fire Marque Inc. is able to improve funding to fire departments.
Fire Marque’s privacy policy has been developed to comply with Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”).
PIPEDA sets out rules for the collection, use and disclosure of personal information in the course of commercial activity as defined in the Act.

1.1  The Principles of PIPEDA

 http://www.priv.gc.ca/leg_c/p_principle_e.cfm

This Privacy Policy applies to Fire Marque’s Board of Directors, employees and contracted employees.  As well, Fire Marque ensures that all third party service providers sign non disclosure/confidentiality agreements prior to any transfer of an individual’s personal information in the course of providing their services.

 

1.2   Definitions

“Business information” means the business name, business address, business telephone number, name(s) of owner(s), officer(s), and director(s), or whoever maybe insured under the “Insurance Policies”, business registration numbers (HST/GST).  Although business information is not subject to PIPEDA, confidentiality of business information is treated with the same security measures by Fire Marque’s staff, members and Board members, as is required for individual personal information under PIPEDA.

“Claims” an amount requested for payment for an insured loss which falls under the terms of an insurance contract.

“Data Collection” means the gathering of information from the Standard Incident Report, but not limited to, computer files, and paper files and information on hard drives.

“Emergency Cost Recovery Proceeds” are funds recovered from the “Insurance Policies”.

“File” means the information collected in the course of recovering the emergency cost recovery proceeds.

“Fire Department” means a group of firefighters authorized to provide fire protection services by a municipality or First Nations Band.

“Incident Reports” are the statistical reports filed with Fire Marshals (also called Standard Incident Reports).

“Incident Sites” is the address or location of the incident.

“Indemnification Technology®” means the method of collecting data relating to fire department incident reporting, and property insurance policy wording interpretation with the intent of maximizing billing opportunities on behalf of fire departments. This is achieved by invoicing insurance companies for costs of fire department attendance with respect to insured perils.

“Individual” means the insured, the property owner(s) or the unnamed insured in the “Insurance Policies.”

“Insurers” as defined in the various provincial Insurance Acts.

“Insurance Policies” refers to those policies of insurance which have application to the fires dealt with by the various “Fire Departments” represented by Fire Marque.  Insurance is a system under which individuals, businesses and other entities, in exchange for a sum of money called the premium, are guaranteed compensation for losses resulting from certain perils under specific conditions.

“Intellectual Property” is a distinct creation for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized, these rights include but are not limited to, copyrights, trademarks, patents and trade secrets.

“Losses” are the basis for which a claim for indemnity is made under the terms of an insurance policy.

“Personal information” means any information about an insured individual. It includes, without limitation, information relating to identity, address, telephone number, e-mail address, insurance company, insurance agent, insurance policy number.

 

2.0   Purposes of Collecting Personal Information

Personal information is collected in order to file claims to recover the fire departments emergency costs.

After recovery of the fire departments emergency costs under the limits of the insurance policy(s) the individual and/or insured’s names is deleted. 

 

3.0   Consent

An individual’s consent may be required for the filing of an insurance claim in accordance with the Statutory Conditions of the Insurance Act.

 

4.0   Limiting Collection

Personal information collected is limited to the purposes as set out in 2.0 of this Privacy Policy.

 

5.0  Limiting Use, Disclosure and Retention

After recovery of the fire departments emergency costs under the limits of their insurance policy(s) the individual and/or insured’s names is deleted.

5.1  Use of Personal Information

Personal information will be used for only those purposes as permitted under PIPEDA and as set out in section 2.0

• Fire Marque will use personal information without the individual’s consent, where:

• the individual(s) insurance company allows it;

• an emergency exists that threatens an individual’s life, health or security;

• the information is publicly available;

• use is clearly in the individual’s interest, and consent is not available in a timely way.

 

5.2  Disclosure and Transfer of Personal Information

Personal information will be disclosed to only those Fire Marque employees, and the Board of Directors that need to know the information for the purposes of their work.

Personal information will not be disclosed to third parties without the individual’s knowledge and consent except:

• to a law enforcement agency in the process of a civil or criminal investigation;

• to a government agency or department requesting the information; or,

• as required by law.

 

PIPEDA permits Fire Marque to transfer personal information to a third party, without the individual’s knowledge or consent, if the transfer is simply for processing purposes and the third party only uses the information for the purposes for which it was transferred.

5.3   Retention of Personal Information

Personal information will be retained in the files as long as the file is active and for such periods of time as may be prescribed by applicable laws and regulations.

A file will be deemed inactive if the fire departments emergency recovery funds have been received.

 

6.0 Accuracy

Fire Marque endeavours to ensure that any personal information provided is accurate, current and complete as is necessary to fulfill the purposes for which the information has been collected, used, retained and disclosed. Individuals are requested to notify Fire Marque of any change in personal or business information.

 

7.0 Safeguards

Fire Marque will use physical, organizational, and technological measures to safeguard personal information to only those Fire Marque employees, contract employees or third parties who need to know this information for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy.

Organizational Safeguards: Access to personal information will be limited to the claims file handler, and/or the accounts receivable officer.

Fire Marque employees, contract employees and/or Board of Directors are required to sign a non-disclosure/confidentiality agreement binding them to maintaining the confidentiality of all personal information to which they have access.

Physical Safeguards: Active files are stored in locked filing cabinets when not in use. Access to work areas where active files may be in use is restricted to Fire Marque employees.

All inactive files or personal information no longer required are shredded prior to disposal to prevent inadvertent disclosure to unauthorized persons.

Technological Safeguards: Personal information contained in the Fire Marque computers and electronic databases are password protected in accordance with Fire Marques’s Information

 

Security Policy.  Access to any of the Fire Marque’s computers also is password protected.  Fire Marque’s Internet router or server has firewall protection sufficient to protect personal and  business information against virus attacks and “sniffer” software arising from Internet activity. 

 

8.0 Openness

Fire Marque will endeavour to make its privacy policies and procedures known to the individual via this Privacy Policy which is on the web site  www.firemarque.com.

 

9.0 Individual Access

An Individual who wishes to review or verify what personal information is held by Fire Marque, or to whom the information has been disclosed (as permitted by the Act), may make a request for access, in writing, to the Fire Marque Chief Privacy Officer. Upon verification of the individual’s identity, the Chief Privacy Officer will respond within 60 days.

If the individual finds that the information held by Fire Marque is inaccurate or incomplete, upon the individual providing documentary evidence to verify the correct information, Fire Marque will make the required changes to the individual’s active file(s) promptly.

 

10.0 Complaints/Recourse

If an individual has a concern about Fire Marque’s personal information handling practises, a complaint, in writing, may be directed to the Fire Marque’s Chief Privacy Officer.

Upon verification of the individual’s identity, Fire Marque’s Chief Privacy Officer will act promptly to investigate the complaint and provide a written report of the investigation’s findings to the individual.

Where Fire Marque’s Chief Privacy Officer makes a determination that the individual’s complaint is well founded, the Chief Privacy Officer will take the necessary steps to correct the offending information handling practise and/or revise Fire Marque’s privacy policies and procedures.

Where Fire Marque’s Chief Privacy Officer determines that the individual’s complaint is not well founded, the individual will be notified in writing.  If the individual is dissatisfied with the finding and corresponding action taken by Fire Marque’s Chief Privacy Officer, the individual may bring a complaint to the Federal Privacy Commissioner at the address below:

The Privacy Commissioner of Canada
112 Kent Street,
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1H3

Tel 1-800-282-1376

 

10.1 Questions/Access Request/Complaint

Any questions regarding this or any other privacy policy of Fire Marque may be directed to the Chief Privacy Officer.  Requests for access to information, or to make a complaint, are to be made in writing and sent to the Chief Privacy Officer at the address below:

Chief Privacy Officer:                                                     
PO Box 2018,
Thornton, Ontario, L0L2N0

 

Amendment to Fire Marques’s Privacy Policies

The Fire Marque Privacy Policy has been in effect since March 22, 2010.

This policy is subject to amendment in response to developments in the privacy legislation.  The Chief Privacy Officer will review and revise the Privacy Policy from time to time as required by changes in privacy law. Notification of any changes in the Privacy Policy will be posted on Fire Marque’s website.  Any changes in the Privacy Policy will apply to Personal information collected from the date of the posting of the revised Privacy Policy on Fire Marque’s website: www.firemarque.com