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Product Disclaimers, AI Usage & Transparency and Privacy Policy

Product Disclaimer
The products featured on this site are provided for educational and informational purposes only. The Altadena Fire Safe Council is not affiliated with nor endorsed by any manufacturer listed unless explicitly stated. Product specifications, availability, and performance may change without notice. Users are responsible for reviewing manufacturer instructions, safety warnings, and regulatory requirements before purchase or use. Certain equipment — including generators, fuel-powered devices, respirators, and radio communication devices — may require training, proper ventilation, or licensing.

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Some radios (e.g., Baofeng UV‑5R) operate on licensed frequencies regulated by the FCC. Users are responsible for obtaining any required licenses and following all federal, state, and local regulations. Improper use can result in fines, interference with emergency communications, or other penalties.

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Preparedness recommendations on this site are general in nature and are not a substitute for professional advice, official emergency guidance, or manufacturer instructions. In an emergency, always follow directions from local authorities.

For more information on FCC regulations for amateur radio, visit: FCC – Amateur Radio Service.

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Home Insurance Disclaimer
The information provided is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional insurance advice. It does not replace the guidance, evaluation, or opinion of a licensed home insurance professional. Coverage terms, eligibility, and policy interpretations vary by provider and individual circumstances. For advice specific to your property or insurance needs, please consult a qualified insurance agent or licensed expert.

AI Usage & Transparency
The Altadena Fire Safe Council uses artificial intelligence (AI) as a supporting tool to help develop educational materials, illustrations, research summaries, and digital resources for community wildfire resilience. A particular challenge in developing this website is the limited availability of high-quality, locally relevant images that can effectively illustrate fire-safe landscaping, defensible space, home hardening, ecological restoration, emergency preparedness, and other wildfire-resilience practices.

Many of these concepts are highly visual, yet suitable photographs—especially photographs representing Altadena’s unique landscape, homes, vegetation, and fire-risk conditions—are difficult to find, properly license, or obtain in sufficient quantity. AI-assisted illustration allows us to create visual examples that help residents understand concepts that can otherwise be difficult to communicate through text alone. These illustrations are intended to be educational representations, not photographs of actual conditions or completed projects. AI-generated or AI-assisted images are identified where appropriate.

AI also assists our team with research and information development. Wildfire resilience is an interdisciplinary field involving fire science, ecology, vegetation management, soil health, watershed function, home hardening, emergency preparedness, GIS, and community planning. Conducting this research manually—locating relevant scientific literature, agency guidance, technical resources, and best practices and then organizing that information into accessible community resources—is extremely time-consuming, particularly for a small community-based organization with limited staff capacity. AI assistance can significantly reduce the time required to locate, organize, synthesize, and communicate information. It does not replace primary research, professional expertise, field observation, scientific review, or organizational decision-making.

Information developed with AI assistance is reviewed by the Altadena Fire Safe Council and, where appropriate, checked against authoritative sources such as government agencies, scientific publications, and recognized fire and ecological organizations. Our goal is to use AI as a capacity-building tool: helping a small nonprofit produce better educational resources, communicate complex science in accessible ways, and make wildfire-resilience information more available to the community. We believe transparency is essential. AI should be used to expand access to information and improve communication—not to create a false impression of scientific certainty or to substitute generated content for real-world evidence.

Our website utilizes AI-assisted illustrations for illustration purposes only and does not use them for actual documented conditions. AI helps us do more with limited resources. The science, local knowledge, field experience, and community decisions remain at the heart of our work.

Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Altadena Fire Safe Council (“we,” “our,” or “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy and maintaining transparency about how we collect, use, and safeguard your information.

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This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit our website, how we use it, and your rights regarding your personal information.

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This website provides educational content related to wildfire preparedness, vegetation management, home hardening, evacuation planning, and community resilience.

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2. Information We Collect

We collect information in the following ways:

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A. Information You Voluntarily Provide

We may collect personal information that you voluntarily submit, including:

  • Name

  • Email address

  • Phone number

  • Mailing address

  • Donation information

  • Event registration details

  • Messages sent through contact forms

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B. Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect:

  • IP address

  • Browser type

  • Device information

  • Pages visited

  • Time spent on pages

  • Referring website

This data helps us understand how visitors use our site and improve user experience.

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3. How We Use Your Information

We may use your information to:

  • Respond to inquiries

  • Send newsletters or updates (if you opt in)

  • Process donations

  • Register for events

  • Improve website performance

  • Analyze traffic trends

  • Maintain site security

  • Comply with legal obligations

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

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4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to:

  • Improve functionality

  • Remember user preferences

  • Analyze traffic patterns

You may adjust your browser settings to refuse cookies; however, some website features may not function properly. If we use analytics services such as Google LLC’s Google Analytics, those services may collect data in accordance with their own privacy policies.

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5. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to external websites, including:

  • Government agencies

  • Fire safety organizations

  • Grant programs

  • Educational resources

  • Product manufacturers

We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party websites. We encourage users to review the privacy policies of any external sites they visit.

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6. Donations and Payment Processing

If you make a donation, payment processing may be handled by a secure third-party payment provider. We do not store full credit card numbers on our servers. All payment processors are responsible for maintaining the security of your financial information in accordance with applicable laws.

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7. Email Communications

If you subscribe to our mailing list:

  • You may receive updates about wildfire safety, events, grants, or community programs.

  • You may unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in our emails.

We comply with applicable anti-spam laws, including the CAN-SPAM Act.

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8. Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information. However, no online transmission or storage system can be guaranteed 100% secure.

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9. California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you may have the right to:

  • Request access to personal information we collect about you

  • Request correction of inaccurate information

  • Request deletion of your personal information

  • Opt out of certain data sharing practices

 

To exercise your rights, contact us at:
Email: info@altadenafiresafe.org

We do not sell personal information as defined under California law.

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10. Children’s Privacy

Our website is not directed toward children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us  and we will promptly remove it.

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11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. When we do, we will revise the “Effective Date” at the top of this page.

We encourage users to review this page regularly.

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12. Contact Information

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact:

Altadena Fire Safe Council
P.O. Box 90724
Pasadena, CA 91109
info@altadenafiresafe.org

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13. Grant Reporting & Transparency

As a nonprofit organization engaged in wildfire mitigation, vegetation management, community resilience planning, and workforce development initiatives, we may receive funding from public agencies, foundations, and other grantmaking institutions.

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In connection with these grants, we may be required to collect, analyze, and report certain data to funding partners, which may include:

  • Project acreage treated

  • Vegetation management methods used (e.g., prescribed grazing)

  • Before-and-after site documentation

  • Aggregate risk reduction metrics

  • Budget expenditures

  • Workforce training participation numbers

  • Volunteer engagement statistics

  • GIS mapping outputs and project impact analysis

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Aggregated and De-Identified Data

When reporting to grantors, we share data in aggregated or de-identified form whenever possible. This means information is combined and stripped of personal identifiers so that individuals cannot reasonably be identified.

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Property-Level Data

If a project involves parcel-level assessments, vegetation surveys, or site-specific mitigation work, information shared with grantors or regulatory agencies will generally be limited to:

  • Parcel numbers or geographic identifiers

  • Treatment type and scope

  • Environmental compliance documentation

  • Photographic documentation of project implementation

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We do not publicly publish private homeowner personal contact information without consent.

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Government & Regulatory Compliance

Certain grants—particularly those funded by state or federal agencies—may require documentation to comply with:

  • Environmental review laws

  • Public accountability standards

  • Audit requirements

  • Public records laws

In such cases, some project records may be subject to disclosure under applicable public records laws.

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No Sale of Data

Information collected for grant reporting purposes is not sold, rented, or used for commercial marketing purposes.

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Community Transparency

We are committed to transparency in how grant funds are used. We may publish summary reports, impact dashboards, or community updates describing:

  • Project progress

  • Risk reduction outcomes

  • Community benefits

  • Financial stewardship

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These reports will not include sensitive personal information unless explicit written consent has been provided.

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