This privacy notice tells you what to expect us to do with your personal information. It should be read in conjunction with our overarching privacy notice.
Contact details for our Data Protection Officer
Data Protection Officer
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service
Five Rivers Health and Wellbeing Centre
Salisbury
Wiltshire
SP1 3NR
01722 691000
What information we collect, use, and why
We collect or use the following personal information in relation to consultation petitions. This information is typically provided by you when you sign or support a petition:
- Name
- Contact details, such as postal and/or email address
- Any feedback, comments, or opinions you choose to provide
Whilst we do not organise petitions, we are happy to receive them and collect this information to administer the petition, understand public views, and inform our consultation and decision-making processes.
Lawful bases and data protection rights
Under UK data protection law, we must have a “lawful basis” for collecting and using your personal information. There is a list of possible lawful bases in the UK GDPR. You can find out more about lawful bases on the ICO’s website.
Which lawful basis we rely on may affect your data protection rights which are set out in brief in our overarching privacy notice. You can find out more about your data protection rights and the exemptions which may apply on the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) website.
Our lawful basis for the collection and use of your personal information
Our lawful basis for collecting or processing personal information for consultation petitions is:
(e) Public task – we have to collect or use the information to carry out a task laid down in law, which the law intends to be performed by an organisation such as ours.
The requisite basis in law for the public task condition comes from:
- The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, related local government legislation, and our local governance arrangements.
Where we get your personal information from
We are usually provided personal information contained in petitions from the individual or group who organised and submitted the petition to us. This may include names and signatures of people who have supported the petition.
How we store your information
Your information is stored securely on our internal SharePoint system. Access to this system is restricted to authorised staff only and is controlled through user permissions and access controls to ensure that only those who need the information to carry out their duties can view it.
We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or loss. This includes secure login requirements and regular monitoring of system access.
How long we keep your personal information for
We will retain your personal information for as long as the consultation remains open. Once the consultation has closed, we will keep the information for a further 12 months to allow for any follow-up actions, reporting, or review processes.
After this period, your personal information will be securely deleted.
Who we share your personal information with and why
We may share your personal information with external organisations and partners who are supporting us in delivering and managing the consultation. This may include third parties who assist with analysing responses, administering the consultation process, or providing specialist advice.
We will only share the information that is necessary for these purposes, and all external organisations are required to protect your information and use it only in accordance with our instructions and data protection law.
How to complain
If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to us using the contact details at the top of this privacy notice.
If you remain unhappy with how we’ve used your data after raising a complaint with us, you can also complain to the ICO.
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
0303 123 1113
https://www.ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint
Last updated
13 May 2026