An individual’s rights regarding their personal information

Under the legislation, an individual has the right:

to be informed that processing of their personal data is being undertaken and the reason for this (which is normally in the form of a ‘Privacy Notice’);
to access their personal information that falls within the scope of the legislation within the statutory one calendar month, which is called a Subject Access Request – SAR (see below);
the rectification of their personal information if what we hold is inaccurate or incomplete;
to data erasure (in certain circumstances) if there is no valid or lawful reason for us to retain the information;
to restrict or suppress processing (in certain circumstances) which can limit the way in which we use their information;
to data portability for the individual to obtain and re-use their information for their own purposes;
to object to processing, such as for direct marketing;
to be informed when their personal information is subject to automated decision making and profiling; and
to exercise their rights through the Information Commissioner Office (ICO)

A detailed guide to individual rights is available on the ICO website.

An individual has the right to access (or can request a copy of) personal information that AF&RS hold about them, which is commonly known as a ‘Subject Access Request (SAR)’. Providing it is a reasonable request, AF&RS are obliged to comply. Viewing information that is held about the individual will provide them with the opportunity to ensure that any personal information that AF&RS may hold is correct.

Subject Access Requests within AF&RS are coordinated and processed by the Data Protection team and are dealt with on a ‘case by case’ basis. AF&RS do not charge for processing SARs, however, the legislation allows some discretion when dealing with requests for manifestly unfounded or excessive requests, in particular if they are repetitive. Under the new legislation, AF&RS can charge a reasonable fee, taking into account the administrative costs of providing the information; or refuse to respond. If the latter is the case, we will explain the reasons and assist the individual to re-submit their request in a more manageable form.

Please submit your request by email to [email protected]
or in writing to:

Data Protection Officer
Avon Fire & Rescue Service
Police & Fire Headquarters
PO Box 37
Valley Road
Portishead
Bristol
BS20 8JJ
Explain which information right your request is relating to
Provide contact details and method of communication
Provide a form of ID to confirm your identity (such as a copy of a Driving Licence or Passport)
If another organisation or individual is acting on your behalf, include a signed letter of authorisation as well as a copy of ID to verify signature and your identity
Advise if there is any period within the one calendar month when you are not available in case we need to get in touch with you
Be specific with what information you are asking us to action, which will assist us to conduct the required searches, such as:
- Information which will help us to identify your record, such as names, addresses, brigade number, and other reference numbers
- Reason why we may hold your personal data, such as current/former member of staff, if you were involved in an incident that we attended or we provided you with Home Fire Safety Visit etc.
- date ranges that may apply
- details relating to specific information/subject/event if required
- types of documents or other forms/methods where we may hold your information