Privacy Policy

Effective Date: February 5, 2025
Last Updated: March 2026

Fire Safety Score, including the website at FireSafetyScore.com ("Website") and the Fire Safety Score mobile application ("App"), is operated by Bits & Shovels, LLC ("Company," "we," "us," or "our"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use our Website and App (collectively, the "Services").

1. Information We Collect

a. Personal Information You Provide

  • Email Address: When you create an account or sign in, we collect your email address. We use it to authenticate your account, recall prior searches, deliver fire safety reports, provide product updates, and send promotional offers.
  • Apple ID Information: If you choose to sign in with Apple, we receive your Apple user identifier and, on first sign-in, your email address (which may be an Apple Private Relay address) and optionally your name.
  • Property Addresses: We store the addresses you search for to provide fire safety analysis results and to allow you to revisit past analyses.

b. Property Photos

When you use the App to upload photos of your property for enhanced fire safety analysis, we collect and store those images. This requires your permission to access your device's camera and/or photo library. Photos you upload are:

  • Stored securely in our cloud storage (Cloudflare R2).
  • Used solely to generate your fire safety analysis.
  • Never shared with other users.
  • Deletable at any time through the App.

c. Location Data

When you submit a property address, we convert it to geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) using the Google Maps Geocoding API. This location data is used to retrieve satellite and street view imagery and to query fire hazard zone information. We do not collect your device's real-time GPS location.

d. Subscription and Purchase Information

  • In-App Purchases: If you purchase a Plus or Pro subscription through the App, the transaction is processed by Apple via the App Store. We receive and store your transaction ID, product ID, and subscription expiration date to manage your account tier. We do not receive or store your payment card details.

e. Automatically Collected Information

  • Website Analytics: We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) on the Website to collect anonymized usage statistics, including browser type, anonymized IP address, referral source, and visit duration.
  • Server Logs: Our servers may log standard request information (IP addresses, timestamps, request paths) for security and debugging purposes.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Provide, operate, and improve the Services.
  • Generate fire safety analyses by processing property addresses, images, and fire hazard zone data.
  • Authenticate your account and manage your subscription tier.
  • Send you fire safety reports and account-related communications via email.
  • Recall your past searches and analyses for your convenience.
  • Analyze Website traffic and usage patterns to improve our Services.
  • Send you product updates and promotional offers (with an opt-out option).

3. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to operate the Services. Each processes certain data on our behalf:

a. Google Maps Platform

We use Google Maps APIs (Geocoding, Street View, and Static Maps) to normalize property addresses and retrieve property imagery. The addresses and coordinates you provide are sent to Google for this purpose. Google's privacy policy applies to their processing of this data.

b. OpenAI

We use OpenAI's API to analyze property images (street view, satellite, and user-uploaded photos) and generate fire safety assessments. Images and property context are sent to OpenAI for processing. OpenAI's API data usage policy applies; data sent via the API is not used to train OpenAI's models.

c. SendGrid (Twilio)

We use SendGrid to deliver authentication emails (magic links) and fire safety reports to your email address.

d. Cloudflare R2

User-uploaded property photos are stored in Cloudflare R2, a cloud object storage service. Images are accessible only to the user who uploaded them via time-limited signed URLs.

e. Apple (App Store and Sign in with Apple)

In-app purchases are processed through the Apple App Store. If you use Sign in with Apple, Apple provides us with a user identifier and optionally your email address. Apple's privacy policy governs their handling of your data.

f. CAL FIRE / State of California

We query the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's (CAL FIRE) publicly available Fire Hazard Severity Zone database using your property's coordinates to include official fire hazard zone information in your analysis.

4. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal data. We share data only as described in this policy:

  • Service Providers: We share data with the third-party services listed above solely to operate the Services.
  • Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request.
  • Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred as part of that transaction.

We do not sell or share your personal data, property photos, or analysis results with insurance companies, data brokers, or any third parties beyond the service providers listed above. If we ever introduce new data-sharing features, we will update this policy, notify you, and provide clear opt-in choices.

5. Data Storage and Security

  • Database: Your account information, analysis results, and search history are stored in a secured PostgreSQL database.
  • Image Storage: User-uploaded photos are stored in Cloudflare R2 with access restricted to the uploading user.
  • Authentication: We use short-lived JWT tokens for session management. On iOS, tokens are stored in the device Keychain. On the Website, we use session cookies for authentication only.
  • Encryption: All data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted via HTTPS/TLS.

We follow industry best practices to protect your data but cannot guarantee absolute security. No method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure.

6. Data Retention

  • Account Data: We retain your account information for as long as your account is active.
  • Analysis Results: Fire safety analyses are retained indefinitely to allow you and other users searching the same address to benefit from cached results.
  • User-Uploaded Photos: Photos are retained until you delete them through the App or request deletion.
  • Server Logs: Routine server logs are retained for a limited period for debugging and security purposes.

7. Cookies & Tracking

We use cookies on the Website only for authentication and session management purposes. We do not use cookies for advertising. Google Analytics 4 may use cookies for anonymized analytics; you can opt out using Google's GA Opt-Out Browser Add-on. The App does not use cookies or third-party tracking SDKs.

8. Your Rights & Choices

You have the following rights regarding your data:

  • Access Your Data: You can view your analyses and uploaded photos through the App and Website.
  • Delete Photos: You can delete any property photos you have uploaded through the App at any time.
  • Opt Out of Emails: Click the "unsubscribe" link in any marketing email.
  • Disable Website Tracking: Use browser settings to block analytics scripts or install Google's GA Opt-Out Add-on.
  • Request Data Deletion: Contact us at [email protected] to request complete removal of your account and stored information.
  • Revoke Apple Sign In: You can manage or revoke Sign in with Apple access through your Apple ID settings.

9. Compliance with Privacy Laws

  • California Residents (CCPA/CPRA): You have the right to know what personal information we collect, request its deletion, and opt out of any future sale of personal data. We do not currently sell personal data.
  • GDPR (EU/EEA Visitors): While we primarily serve users in the United States, if you access the Services from the EU/EEA, you have the right to access, correct, delete, or port your data, and to object to or restrict certain processing. Contact us at [email protected] to exercise these rights.

10. Children's Privacy

The Services are not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us at [email protected] and we will promptly delete it.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available at firesafetyscore.com/privacy. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of the Services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, contact us at:
[email protected]

Bits & Shovels, LLC