1. Introduction

Kent County Emergency Support Team ("KCEST," "we," "us," or "our") operates the Spotter Connect platform. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our weather spotting and emergency coordination service.

2. Information We Collect

Personal Information

We collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

• Name (first and last name)
• Email address
• Phone number
• Amateur radio call sign (if applicable)
• Location data when using SpotterTrack features
• Weather reports and observations you submit

Location Information

When you enable SpotterTrack, we collect and process your real-time GPS location to coordinate emergency response efforts. This location tracking can be disabled at any time through your profile settings.

Usage Information

We automatically collect information about how you interact with our service, including login times, pages visited, and actions taken within the platform.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

• Coordinate weather spotting and emergency response activities
• Send weather alerts and activation notifications
• Facilitate communication between spotters and emergency personnel
• Maintain accurate spotter contact information
• Improve our services and platform functionality
• Comply with legal obligations and emergency response requirements

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• Emergency Services: During severe weather events, we may share spotter locations and contact information with National Weather Service, local emergency management, and first responders
• SKYWARN Network: Your spotter information may be shared with other authorized SKYWARN coordinators and emergency management personnel
• Legal Requirements: When required by law or to protect public safety
• Service Providers: With third-party service providers who assist in platform operations (subject to confidentiality agreements)

We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties for commercial purposes.

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements. Location tracking data is automatically purged daily at 3:00 AM Eastern Time for privacy protection.

7. Your Rights and Choices

You have the right to:

• Access and update your personal information through your profile
• Choose your preferred method of receiving alerts (SMS, email, or both)
• Enable or disable location tracking at any time
• Request deletion of your account (subject to emergency coordination requirements)
• Opt out of non-emergency communications

8. Children's Privacy

Our service is not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we become aware that we have collected such information, we will take steps to delete it.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us through the Contact Team feature in the platform or reach out to your local KCEST coordinator.