Privacy Policy
Chavivim Inc. (“Chavivim,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the Chavivim website at chavivim.org, the Chavivim mobile application for Android and iOS, and our internal dispatch platform (collectively, the “Services”). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, when we share it, and the choices you have. It applies to volunteers, members, dispatchers, donors, applicants, and visitors who interact with the Services.
1. Information we collect
The categories of information we collect depend on how you interact with the Services. The table below summarizes what is collected through the mobile app (in line with Google Play’s Data safety disclosures) and the website.
| Category | Examples | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Personal identifiers | First and last name, profile photo, gender, date of birth | You provide it during signup or in your profile |
| Contact information | Email address, mobile phone number, mailing address, emergency contacts | You provide it |
| Account credentials | Password (stored as a salted bcrypt hash), one-time codes (OTP), session and refresh tokens | Generated by the Services |
| Volunteer & dispatch data | Role, location/division assignment, schedule, shift status, response history, call participation, equipment checked out, vehicle assigned | Generated through your use of the Services |
| Vehicle information | Vehicle make, model, year, color, license plate, tow capabilities, equipment carried | You provide it |
| Precise location | Real-time GPS coordinates while you are on duty or responding to a call (see Section 3) | Mobile device sensors, with your permission |
| Approximate location | City and area derived from IP address or device locale | Network |
| Audio recordings | Push-to-talk (PTT) radio transmissions and call audio (see Section 4) | You record it through the app |
| Photos & files | Images attached to call reports, equipment photos, profile pictures, applicant documents | You upload them |
| Device & technical data | Device model, operating system, app version, language, time zone, crash logs, IP address | Automatically collected |
| Push notification tokens | Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) registration tokens | Generated by your device |
| App activity & logs | Pages and features used, button taps, API requests, timestamps, error reports | Automatically collected |
| Donation information | Donor name, contact info, donation amount and history | You provide it; payment card data is handled directly by our payment processor and is never stored on our servers |
We do not knowingly collect: government IDs (SSN, passport, driver’s license number), health or medical information, biometric identifiers, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or political opinions. If you choose to share any of those in a free-text field, please don’t.
2. How we use information
We use the information described above for the following purposes:
- Operating the dispatch platform — matching volunteers to calls, routing calls to the right division, tracking active responders, and producing call reports.
- Managing volunteer accounts — signup, verification (OTP), authentication, role and permission assignment, schedules, and shift management.
- Coordinating equipment and vehicles — check-in/check-out, maintenance tracking, and accountability.
- Communicating with you — transactional notifications about calls, schedule changes, account activity, and important announcements via email, SMS, push notification, or in-app message.
- Running our nonprofit — processing donations, fundraising acknowledgments, donor receipts, and applicant intake.
- Improving the Services — debugging, performance monitoring, analyzing usage, and developing new features.
- Safety, security, and abuse prevention — detecting unauthorized access, fraud, and misuse; investigating incidents; and protecting our team and the public.
- Legal compliance — meeting our obligations under applicable laws, responding to lawful requests, and exercising or defending legal claims.
We process your information based on your consent (where required), the performance of our agreement with you (volunteer/member relationship), our legitimate interests in operating a nonprofit emergency response service, and our legal obligations.
3. Location data
The Chavivim mobile app requests permission to access your device location so that dispatchers can route the closest available volunteers to a call and so that team members can see each other on the live response map.
- Foreground location is used while the app is open to display your current position and to support call response.
- Background location may be used while you are on duty, on an active shift, or actively responding to a call, so that you remain visible to dispatch even when the app is not in the foreground. Background location is not collected when you are off duty.
- Location is shared with authorized dispatchers and other team members assigned to the same call. It is not shared publicly, sold, or used for advertising.
- You can revoke location permission at any time in your device settings; certain dispatch features will not work without it.
4. Audio & voice (PTT)
The app includes push-to-talk (PTT) radio functionality. Audio is captured only while you press and hold the talk button. Transmissions are streamed to other team members on the same channel and are recorded to support after-action review, training, and accountability. We do not record audio in the background or when you are not actively transmitting. Recordings are stored securely and access is limited to authorized dispatch and supervisory staff.
5. Push notifications
We use Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) to deliver push notifications about new calls, schedule updates, and important announcements. To do this, your device shares an FCM registration token with us. You can disable push notifications in your device settings or by signing out of the app.
6. How we share information
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it with advertisers. We share information only as described below:
- With other Chavivim team members — dispatchers, coordinators, and authorized members within your division see the information needed to coordinate calls and operations (for example, your name, role, location while on duty, and call history).
- With service providers who help us run the Services, under contracts that limit their use of your data. This includes our cloud hosting providers (servers and databases), Firebase / Google Cloud (push notifications), Twilio (SMS), our email delivery provider, our payment processor (donations), and Cloudflare (network and security).
- With law enforcement or public-safety agencies when required by law, in response to lawful requests, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to prevent imminent harm.
- In a business or organizational change, such as a merger, acquisition, or transfer of operations to a successor nonprofit. Any successor will be bound by this Privacy Policy or a substantially similar one.
- With your consent, for any other purpose disclosed at the time of collection.
7. Data retention
We keep personal information for as long as your account is active and for as long as needed to provide the Services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Operational records (call logs, dispatch records, audio recordings) are retained for record-keeping, training, and accountability purposes in accordance with our internal retention schedule. When information is no longer needed, we delete or anonymize it.
8. Security
We use industry-standard safeguards to protect your information, including TLS encryption in transit, password hashing with bcrypt, role-based access controls, audit logging, and restricted administrative access. No system is perfectly secure, however; if you believe your account has been compromised, please contact us immediately at [email protected].
9. Your rights & choices
Depending on where you live, you may have rights under laws such as the EU GDPR, UK GDPR, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA), or similar laws. These may include:
- Access — request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- Correction — request that we update inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Deletion — request that we delete your personal information (see Section 10).
- Objection & restriction — object to or limit certain processing of your information.
- Portability — receive a copy of your information in a portable format.
- Withdraw consent — where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.
- Non-discrimination — we will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.
To exercise any of these rights, email [email protected]. We may need to verify your identity before responding. We do not sell or “share” (as those terms are defined under California law) personal information.
10. Account & data deletion
You can request deletion of your Chavivim account and the personal information associated with it at any time by:
- Emailing [email protected] with the subject line “Account deletion request” from the email address on file, or
- Submitting a request through the in-app Settings → Account screen, or
- Calling 718.871.7299.
We will confirm your identity and process your request within 30 days. Some information may be retained when we are legally required to do so or when it is needed to resolve disputes, prevent fraud, or maintain operational records (for example, dispatch logs and audit trails referenced in incident reports). In those cases, the retained data will be limited to what is strictly necessary.
11. Children’s privacy
The Chavivim mobile app and dispatch platform are intended for adult volunteers and authorized personnel. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 (or under 16 in jurisdictions where that is the relevant age). If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.
12. International users
Chavivim is operated from the United States. If you access the Services from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States. By using the Services, you consent to that transfer.
13. Third-party services
The mobile app and platform rely on the following third-party processors to function. Each processes data only for the limited purposes described.
- Google / Firebase — push notifications (FCM), crash reporting, and authentication. Google Privacy Policy.
- Twilio — SMS one-time codes and operational text messages. Twilio Privacy Notice.
- Cloudflare — CDN, DNS, and DDoS protection. Cloudflare Privacy Policy.
- Email delivery provider — transactional emails (account, donation receipts, announcements).
- Payment processor — donation processing. Card details are handled directly by the processor and are not stored by Chavivim.
14. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top and, if the changes are material, provide additional notice through the app, by email, or on this page. Your continued use of the Services after the changes take effect means you accept the updated policy.
15. Contact us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, please contact us: