Website Privacy Policy
Effective Date: September 22, 2026
Last Updated: September 22, 2026
The New Jersey & New York Volunteer Firemen’s Association, Inc. (the “Association,” “NJNYVFA,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect information when you visit https://njnyvfa.org (the “Website”), create or use an account, communicate with us, submit materials, download documents, or otherwise interact with the Association through the Website.
By using the Website, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this Policy, please do not use the Website or submit personal information through it.
1. Information We Collect
We may collect the following categories of information:
Information You Provide
- Account information: your name, email address, password, and account preferences, including a “remember me” selection. Passwords should be stored in hashed or otherwise protected form and not as readable text.
- Communications: information you send by email or otherwise provide when contacting the Association, requesting information, reporting an issue, or communicating with an officer or website administrator.
- Submitted materials: articles, photographs, event announcements, officer information, department news, documents, creator attribution, and other content submitted for possible publication or Association use.
- Membership or program information: information included in forms, applications, records, meeting materials, or other documents that you choose to submit through available Association channels.
Please do not submit Social Security numbers, financial-account information, medical information, or other highly sensitive personal information through ordinary email or general website channels unless the Association specifically requests it through an approved secure process.
Information Collected Automatically
When you use the Website, our hosting provider and technology systems may automatically collect limited technical information, including:
- Internet Protocol (IP) address;
- browser type, device type, operating system, and general device information;
- pages viewed, links used, referring pages, and dates and times of access;
- login activity, session identifiers, error logs, and security-related information; and
- cookies or similar technologies needed to operate login sessions, remember authorized users, maintain security, and support basic Website functions.
The Website currently does not advertise the use of behavioral advertising or the sale of personal information. If our practices materially change, we will update this Policy.
Clothing-Bin Donations
The Website’s clothing-bin page provides locations where the public may deposit clothing. The Website does not require a donor to create an account, provide contact information, or make an online payment to use a listed clothing bin. We generally do not know the identity of a person who makes an anonymous clothing donation. If you contact us about a bin, host location, misplaced item, or donation issue, we may collect the contact and message information you provide.
2. How We Use Information
We may use information to:
- create, authenticate, maintain, and secure user or staff accounts;
- operate, administer, maintain, troubleshoot, and improve the Website;
- respond to questions, requests, and other communications;
- review, edit, publish, archive, or otherwise administer submitted materials;
- provide Association programs, documents, notices, meeting information, and member resources;
- protect the Website, the Association, its members, and others against misuse, fraud, unauthorized access, and security threats;
- maintain records and enforce our Terms and Conditions or other policies; and
- comply with applicable law, legal process, and legitimate governmental requests.
3. Cookies and Similar Technologies
The Website may use essential cookies or similar technologies to keep users signed in, remember a user who selects “remember me,” protect forms and sessions, and provide core Website functionality. You may be able to block or delete cookies through your browser settings, but doing so may prevent account, login, or other Website functions from working correctly.
If the Association later adds analytics, advertising, embedded media, or other nonessential tracking technology, this Policy should be updated and any legally required consent mechanism should be implemented before or when that technology is activated.
4. How We Disclose Information
We may disclose information in the following circumstances:
- Service providers: to vendors that host, secure, maintain, or support the Website, email, files, backups, or related systems, but only as reasonably necessary for them to provide services to us.
- Association administration: to authorized officers, administrators, committee members, or representatives who need the information for legitimate Association activities.
- Publications and public records: when you submit content for publication, information such as your name, department, title, creator attribution, photograph, or submitted material may be displayed publicly on the Website, in newsletters, meeting materials, or other Association communications.
- Legal and safety purposes: when reasonably necessary to comply with law or legal process; protect rights, safety, property, or security; investigate misuse; or enforce our policies.
- Organizational changes: in connection with a merger, reorganization, transfer of operations, or similar change involving the Association, subject to appropriate protections.
- With your direction or consent: when you ask or authorize us to disclose information.
We do not sell personal information for money. We do not disclose personal information for targeted advertising as part of the Website’s current operation.
5. Public Content and Third-Party Websites
Information published on public Website pages, in newsletters, or in downloadable documents can be viewed, copied, downloaded, indexed, or redistributed by others. Do not submit information for publication that you do not want made public.
The Website may link to fire-service organizations, government agencies, training resources, health programs, or other third-party websites. Those parties operate under their own privacy practices. We are not responsible for the privacy, security, accuracy, or content of third-party websites.
6. Data Retention
We retain information for as long as reasonably necessary to operate the Website, administer Association activities and records, respond to requests, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, preserve historical materials, and satisfy legal, accounting, or security obligations. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the purpose for which it is maintained.
7. Data Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards intended to protect information. However, no website, email system, storage system, or Internet transmission is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for choosing a strong, unique password and protecting your login credentials.
If you believe an account or information has been compromised, contact us promptly at njnyvfawebmaster@gmail.com.
8. Your Choices and Requests
You may contact us to request access to, correction of, or deletion of personal information associated with your Website account, subject to identity verification and any legal, security, historical-record, or operational reason that requires or permits us to retain particular information.
You may also ask us to close your account or stop using information for future communications. Closing an account may not remove information previously published with your authorization, contained in official Association records, or retained in backups or archives as permitted by law.
Requests may be sent to njnyvfawebmaster@gmail.com or mailed to the address in Section 12.
9. Visitors Under 18
People under 18 are permitted to visit and use the publicly available portions of the Website. Visitors under 18 should use the Website with the involvement of a parent or legal guardian when appropriate and should not submit personal information, photographs, documents, or other materials without permission from a parent or legal guardian.
The Website is not directed specifically to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information online from children under 13 without verifiable consent from a parent or legal guardian. A child under 13 may browse publicly available Website content that does not require the submission of personal information. A child under 13 may not create an account or submit personal information through the Website unless a parent or legal guardian has provided any consent required by law. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information without appropriate consent, please contact us so we can review and address the matter.
10. United States Use
The Website is operated for the Association in the United States. If you access it from another country, you understand that information may be processed and stored in the United States, where privacy laws may differ from those in your location.
11. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy as the Website, our practices, or legal requirements change. The revised version will be posted on the Website with a new “Last Updated” date. Material changes may also be communicated by another reasonable method when appropriate.
12. Contact Us
Questions, concerns, or privacy requests may be directed to:
NJ & NY Volunteer Firemen’s Association, Inc.
246B Livingston Street, Suite 165
Northvale, NJ 07647-1910
Email: njnyvfawebmaster@gmail.com