SimulAlert App Privacy Policy
Who we are and what this policy cover
SimulAlert is an emergency alerting and roll-call service for schools, provided by Safety in Emergency LLCdba SimulAlert (“we”, “us”). This policy explains how we handle information in the SimulAlert mobile
app, the SimulAlert web console and the services behind them (together, the “Service”).
The Service is sold to schools and districts (“Schools”). Your School decides who uses the Service and
provides most of the information in it. We handle that information on the School’s behalf and under our
agreement with it.
This policy does not cover our marketing websites. Those are covered by our website privacy policy.
Information we collect Staff account information.
Your name, email address, mobile number, role, School and assigned room. Your School or we add these when your account is set up. We also keep your password in hashed form, and your two-step sign-in settings.
Your name, email address, mobile number, role, School and assigned room. Your School or we add these when your account is set up. We also keep your password in hashed form, and your two-step sign-in settings.
Device information.
Your device’s push notification token, platform, model and app version, whether notifications and alarm sounds are allowed, and when your device was last active
Your device’s push notification token, platform, model and app version, whether notifications and alarm sounds are allowed, and when your device was last active
Alert and activity information.
Alerts and drills you start or end, requests you send, the room and any details you add, your responses and acknowledgements, and whether alerts reached you. We also keep a log of sign-ins and of changes made to a School’s setup.
Alerts and drills you start or end, requests you send, the room and any details you add, your responses and acknowledgements, and whether alerts reached you. We also keep a log of sign-ins and of changes made to a School’s setup.
Student information.
Schools upload class lists containing student names, grades, classes, teachers and, if the School includes it, a School student ID. During an alert, teachers record where each student is, such as present, absent, with the nurse, missing or a short note. Students do not use the Service and we do not collect information from them directly.
Schools upload class lists containing student names, grades, classes, teachers and, if the School includes it, a School student ID. During an alert, teachers record where each student is, such as present, absent, with the nurse, missing or a short note. Students do not use the Service and we do not collect information from them directly.
School information.
Buildings, floors, rooms, floor plans and emergency contact settings.
Buildings, floors, rooms, floor plans and emergency contact settings.
Location when you send an alert.
If you allow it, the app reads your device’s precise location while you are sending an alert or drill, never in the background. We use it only to check whether you are on your School’s campus. We keep the result: whether you were on campus, how far outside the campus boundary you seemed to be, how accurate the reading was and how old it was. We do not keep where you were. Your School can choose to ask you before sending, or to refuse, an alert sent from clearly off campus; a refused alert is recorded for your School’s administrators.
If you allow it, the app reads your device’s precise location while you are sending an alert or drill, never in the background. We use it only to check whether you are on your School’s campus. We keep the result: whether you were on campus, how far outside the campus boundary you seemed to be, how accurate the reading was and how old it was. We do not keep where you were. Your School can choose to ask you before sending, or to refuse, an alert sent from clearly off campus; a refused alert is recorded for your School’s administrators.
What we don’t collect.
The app does not collect your device’s location in the background, or your contacts, photos or microphone audio. It does not show ads, and it does not contain advertising or analytics software.
The app does not collect your device’s location in the background, or your contacts, photos or microphone audio. It does not show ads, and it does not contain advertising or analytics software.
How we use information
We use information only to provide and support the Service. That means to:
- send and deliver alerts, texts, calls and notifications
- show alert status, the live map and roll call to the people at your School who need them
- place emergency calls when the School has turned them on
- sign you in and keep accounts secure
- keep a record of what happened during an alert or drill
- fix problems and improve the reliability of the Service
We do not sell personal information, use it for advertising, or use student information to build
marketing profiles.
Who we share it with People at your School.
Other staff see what they need for their role. Administrators can see everyone at the School, alert history and full roll-call records.
Other staff see what they need for their role. Administrators can see everyone at the School, alert history and full roll-call records.
Emergency services.
When an emergency call is placed, the School’s name, location and alert details are passed to the emergency call center.
When an emergency call is placed, the School’s name, location and alert details are passed to the emergency call center.
Service providers.
We use these companies to run the Service, and they may process information only for that purpose:
We use these companies to run the Service, and they may process information only for that purpose:
| Provider | What they do |
|---|---|
| Amazon Web Services | Hosting, database and file storage, in the United States |
| Twilio | Text messages and automated calls |
| Expo, Google and Apple | Delivering push notifications |
| Email provider | Invitations, sign-in codes and password resets |
Legal and business reasons.
We may disclose information if the law requires it, to protect someone’s safety, or as part of a merger or sale of our business. Any successor must keep protecting it as this policy describes.
We may disclose information if the law requires it, to protect someone’s safety, or as part of a merger or sale of our business. Any successor must keep protecting it as this policy describes.
Student information
SimulAlert is used only by authorized school and district staff, such as administrators, teachers and safety personnel. Students do not use the SimulAlert app, and we do not knowingly collect personal information directly from students or from children under 13.
SimulAlert is used only by authorized school and district staff, such as administrators, teachers and safety personnel. Students do not use the SimulAlert app, and we do not knowingly collect personal information directly from students or from children under 13.
Schools and districts (each a “School”) may give SimulAlert certain student information to support
emergency response. This may include student names, grade, homeroom or class assignment, and
emergency contacts. When we receive this information, we act as a “school official” under the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), with a legitimate educational interest. The information remains under the School’s direct control, and our use of it is governed by our agreement with the
School.
We use student information only to provide SimulAlert’s services to the School, such as student
accountability, reunification and emergency communication. We do not sell student information. We do
not use it for targeted advertising, to build profiles for non-educational purposes, or to train products
for other customers, and we do not disclose it to third parties except:
(a) to service providers who support SimulAlert under written obligations at least as protective as this
policy;
(b) to first responders or other parties during an emergency, as directed by the School or as permitted
by law; or
(c) as required by law.
We protect student information with reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards,
including encryption in transit and at rest, and role-based access. If an incident affects student
information, we will notify the affected School within 30 days and as required by applicable law.
Student information is kept only as long as the School directs or as needed to provide the services.
When the School asks, or when our agreement ends, we delete or return it within 60 days. Parents and
eligible students who want to review, correct or delete student information should contact their School,
and we will help the School respond.
We comply with applicable state student privacy laws, including Georgia’s Student Data Privacy,
Accessibility, and Transparency Act (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-660 et seq.). We will notify Schools before making
material changes to how we handle student information.
How we protect information
- Information is encrypted in transit.
- Each School’s information is kept separate from every other School’s.
- Staff see only what their role allows.
- Passwords and session tokens are stored in hashed form, and two-step sign-in is available.
- The database cannot be reached directly from the internet, and floor plans are kept in private
No system is perfectly secure. If we learn of a breach affecting your information, we will notify your
School as our agreement and the law require.
How long we keep information
We keep information for as long as your School uses the Service, and for 12 months afterwards. Alert, roll-call and audit records are kept for 12 months so that Schools can review what happened during an emergency. These periods can be agreed upon between us and the School.
We keep information for as long as your School uses the Service, and for 12 months afterwards. Alert, roll-call and audit records are kept for 12 months so that Schools can review what happened during an emergency. These periods can be agreed upon between us and the School.
Your choices
- Notifications. You can change notification and alarm settings on your device, though you may then miss emergency alerts.
- Location. You can turn off the app’s location access in your device’s settings. Alerts still send; your School’s administrators are told the location was missing.
- Access and correction. You can ask your School’s administrator to correct your details or see what is held about you.
- Deleting your account. Ask your School’s administrator, or email us at info@simulalert.com. We will remove your access and delete your account details, except for records your School or the law requires us to keep, such as the history of an alert.
- Your state’s rights. Depending on where you live, you may have other privacy rights. Contact us and we will help, or direct you to your School if the request concerns information it controls.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy. We will post the new version here with a new effective date, and tell Schools about significant changes.
We may update this policy. We will post the new version here with a new effective date, and tell Schools about significant changes.