Privacy Policy

BrigadeTool (“we”, “us”, “our”) is a brigade management platform operated by BrigadeTool, based in Australia.

This policy explains how we collect, use, store, and disclose personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

By using BrigadeTool, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

We collect personal information from:

• Brigade administrators and captains — who register their brigade and manage member accounts
• Brigade members — whose accounts are created by their brigade administrator
• Visitors — who access the platform without logging in (limited data only)

Account information: name, username, role within the brigade, and an encrypted password.

Operational records created by or about members within the platform, including:

• Task completions and weekly check records
• Training apologies
• Driver evaluations, applications, and endorsement history
• Qualifications (e.g. certifications, expiry dates, issuing bodies)
• Breathing apparatus service and equipment records
• Fault reports and asset records
• Calendar events and RSVP responses
• Chat messages within brigade chat rooms

Technical data: IP addresses, browser type, and usage logs for security and debugging purposes.

We do not collect financial information, government identifiers (e.g. TFN, Medicare), or sensitive health information unless voluntarily included in operational notes by your brigade.

We use personal information only for the purposes for which it was collected:

• Providing brigade management features to your brigade
• Enabling brigade officers to manage training records, qualifications, and operational compliance
• Sending push notifications you have opted into
• Maintaining security, preventing fraud, and debugging technical issues
• Improving the platform (using aggregated, de-identified data only)

We will never sell your personal information to third parties or use it for advertising purposes.

Your personal information is only shared in the following circumstances:

• Within your brigade: Officers and administrators of your brigade can view member records relevant to their role.
• Service providers: We use Australian-hosted infrastructure to host BrigadeTool. Your data is stored on servers located in Australia.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, a court order, or to protect the safety of individuals.

We do not share your information with your state fire authority (e.g. CFA, FRNSW) or any external agency without your consent.

All data is stored on Australian-hosted infrastructure. We implement industry-standard security measures including:

• Encrypted passwords (bcrypt hashing — passwords are never stored in plain text)
• HTTPS encryption for all data in transit
• Access controls limiting data access to authorised users only
• Regular backups

No system is completely secure. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact your brigade administrator immediately.

We retain your personal information for as long as your brigade maintains an active account with BrigadeTool. When a brigade account is closed:

• Brigade and member data is retained for 30 days to allow for data export
• After 30 days, data is permanently deleted from our systems

Individual members may request deletion of their account by contacting their brigade captain or administrator.

Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Correct inaccurate or outdated information
• Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal obligations)
• Complain about how we handle your information

To exercise these rights, contact your brigade administrator, or contact us directly (see Section 10).

BrigadeTool uses session cookies to keep you logged in. We do not use third-party tracking cookies, advertising cookies, or analytics services that share data with external parties.

For privacy-related enquiries, corrections, or complaints:

BrigadeTool
Email: support@brigadetool.com.au

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

We may update this policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Continued use of BrigadeTool after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.