Privacy Policy

General

The Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada (SARVAC) respects your privacy. We protect your personal information and adhere to all legislative requirements with respect to protecting privacy. We do not rent, sell, trade, or otherwise distribute our lists. The information that you provide during the website registration process will be used to communicate with website registrants to keep them informed and up to date on the activities of SARVAC, including programs, services, donation opportunities, and events.

Our Commitment

SARVAC is committed to protecting the privacy of the personal information of its employees, members, website registrants, donors, and other stakeholders. We value the trust of the public and of those with whom we deal, and recognize that maintaining this trust requires that we be transparent and accountable in how we treat the information that we have in our files. During the course of our various activities, we frequently gather and use personal information. Anyone from whom we collect such information should expect that it will be carefully protected. Our privacy practices are designed to achieve this goal. We do not rent, sell, trade, or otherwise distribute our lists.

Defining Personal Information

Personal information is any information that can be used to distinguish, identify, or contact a specific individual. SARVAC maintains name and address information of website registrants, along with website Role designations, so that we can communicate effectively with registrants and track statistical data as it relates to search and rescue events, training, and preventative programs. We also maintain information on prior year’s donations and donation receipt numbers as required by Canada Revenue Agency for receipt verification.

Privacy Practices

Personal information gathered by our organization is kept in confidence. Our personnel are authorized to access personal information based only on their need to deal with the information for the reason(s) for which it was obtained. Safeguards are in place to ensure that the information is not disclosed or shared more widely than is necessary to achieve the purpose for which it was gathered. We also take measures to ensure that the integrity of the information is maintained, and to prevent its being lost or destroyed. We collect, use and disclose personal information for purposes that a reasonable person would consider appropriate in light of the circumstances.

Updating of Privacy Policy

We regularly review our privacy practices for our various activities, and update our policy accordingly. Please check this Web site on an ongoing basis for information on our most up to date practices.

Web Site and Electronic Commerce

SARVAC collects personal information through its Web site for very specific reasons and we always identify the purposes. If you make a donation, for example, you will be asked for your name and mailing address in order to send you a receipt for income tax purposes. If you leave a comment and wish a response, we need your e-mail address. Rest assured that SARVAC only collects and uses your personal information, including your e-mail address, necessary to fulfill your request. We use password protocols and encryption software to protect personal and other information we receive when a product or service is requested and/or paid for online. Our software is routinely updated to maximize protection of such information.