Cookies policy
Find out what cookies are and how they are used on this website
Our Cookies Policy
Like many websites, firescotland.gov.uk (the Service) uses small files called cookies to help provide the best possible online experience for you.
Our Cookies Policy explains what cookies are, how we use cookies, how third parties we may partner with may use cookies on the Service, your choices regarding cookies and further information about cookies.
What are cookies?
Cookies are small pieces of text sent by your web browser by a website you visit. A cookie file is stored in your web browser and allows the Service or a third-party to recognize you and make your next visit easier and the Service more useful to you.
Cookies can be "persistent" or "session" cookies.
- Persistent cookies continue to exist after you finish your website visit. They are eventually deleted, often after 6 months or longer. They are used to help the Service recognise when you return so that it can remember things like your preferences, or who you are.
- Session cookies are deleted automatically soon after you finish your website visit, usually within 30 minutes. They are used to help the Service to remember the status of your current visit, for example, a session ID might be stored to ensure you remain logged in.
You can remove cookies from your device at any time, and your device will automatically delete expired cookies.
Types of cookies
Cookies can be set in two ways – some are set by the Service itself. Others are set by other services which may be used bring enhanced functionality.
|
First-party cookies |
These cookies are set directly by the Service. Only the Service can read them. |
|---|---|
|
Third-party cookies |
These cookies are set by other digital services and are accessible only by those digital services. For example, if a webpage contains an embedded YouTube video, YouTube may set its own cookies to enable the video to work correctly. Some cookies are set by services used to provide a better experience for you. For example, Google Analytics is a common service used to understand how users interact with websites so the website owners can make improvements, so the website is easier to use. Some cookies are set by services for advertising purposes. For example, and advertising platform may set a cookie so that it recognises a user across different websites. It is not the Service which sets these third-party cookies. |
We categorise cookies based on how they are used and help you to make broad choices about which cookies you allow us to set.
|
Essential cookies |
These cookies let you use all the different parts of the Service. Without them, the Service cannot be provided. They are sometimes called “strictly necessary” cookies. Some examples of how we use these cookies are:
|
|---|---|
|
Functional cookies |
These cookies might be used to provide functionality. For example:
|
|
Performance cookies |
These help us make sure that the website is working properly and fix any errors. Any performance cookies we use collect anonymised data to protect your identity. We do not collect any data on age, gender, sex, political or religious beliefs, nationality, or postcodes through cookies. |
|
Advertising cookies |
Some websites use advertising networks to show you specially targeted adverts when you visit. These networks may also be able to track your browsing across different sites. Cookies are widely used in online advertising. Neither the Service nor its advertising partners can gain personally identifiable information from these cookies. |
The cookies we set
Essential cookies
Authentication
|
Name |
Data stored |
Purpose |
Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
|
.AspNetCore.Antiforgery |
Authentication token |
This is an anti-forgery cookie designed to stop unauthorised posting of content to a website, known as Cross-Site Request Forgery. |
Session |
Preference cookies
|
Name |
Data stored |
Purpose |
Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
|
.SFRS.Consent |
A string for each preference set |
Used to store information about a visitor's cookie preference settings |
After 1 year |
Performance cookies
Google Analytics is an example of a first party cookie used for performance. Other organisations can’t access your data or view cookies used by our website, and we do not sell your data to any third parties. We also do not allow Google to share our analytics data.
|
Name |
Data stored |
Purpose |
Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
|
_ga |
Browser ID |
Collects information about how you use this website |
After 2 years |
|
_gid |
User ID |
Used to distinguish users |
After 24 hours |
|
_gat
|
A numeric value |
Used to throttle request rate. |
After 1 minute |
|
_ga_F31LYXDEJL |
Session |
Used to persist session state |
After 2 years |
|
_gac_gb_F31LYXDEJL |
Campaign |
Contains campaign related information. |
After 90 days |
Third-party cookies
Some of our webpages use third-party services or software, such as online videos or social networking features. Many of these services may set cookies on your device.
We will ask for consent for these cookies to be set, and you’ll need to accept these cookies if you wish to view the content.
YouTube
These cookies store data such as various unique identifiers, as well as login information that may relate to a Google account.
|
Name |
Purpose |
Expires |
|---|---|---|
|
NID |
Used to show Google ads in Google services for signed out users. Used to remember your preferences and other information, such as your preferred language. |
After 6 months of last use |
|
ANID |
Used to show Google ads on non-Google sites. Remembers personalised ad setting selection in Google. If personalised ads are not enabled, this is remembered until 2030. |
After 13 months |
|
IDE |
Used to show Google ads on non-Google sites. |
After 13 months |
|
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE |
Advertising, personalised YouTube recommendations based on past views and searches |
After 6 months of last use |
|
ENID |
Used to remember your preferences and other information, such as your preferred language. |
After 13 months |
|
PREF |
Used to store information such as your preferred page configuration and playback preferences like explicit autoplay choices, shuffle content, and player size. |
After 8 months of last use |
|
CONSENT |
Used to store a user’s state regarding their cookies choices |
After 13 months |
|
SID, HSID |
contain digitally signed and encrypted records of a user’s Google Account ID and most recent sign-in time. The combination of these cookies allows Google to block many types of attack, such as attempts to steal the content of forms submitted in Google services. |
After 13 months |
|
YSC |
ensure that requests within a browsing session are made by the user, and not by other sites. These cookies prevent malicious sites from acting on behalf of a user without that user’s knowledge. |
Session |
|
AEC |
ensure that requests within a browsing session are made by the user, and not by other sites. These cookies prevent malicious sites from acting on behalf of a user without that user’s knowledge. |
6 months |
|
1P_JAR |
Used for statistics and conversions, ad delivery and retargeting. |
1 month |
|
APISID |
Used to build a profile of visitors' interests for ads personalisation. Relating to unique identifiers for tracking purposes |
After 13 months |
|
LOGIN_INFO |
Used by YouTube on websites with embedded YouTube videos |
After 13 months |
|
SAPISID |
Collects visitor information for YouTube |
After 13 months |
|
SEARCH_SAMESITE |
Used to prevent the browser from sending this cookie along with cross-site requests. |
After 13 months |
|
SIDCC |
Confirm visitor authenticity, prevent fraudulent use of login data and protect visitor data from unauthorised access |
1 year |
|
SSID |
Collects visitor information for YouTube |
After 13 months |
|
VISITOR_PRIVACY_METADATA |
YouTube visitor privacy metadata cookie |
After 13 months |
|
PAPISID, PSID, PSIDCC, PSIDTS |
Used to build a profile of visitors' interests for ads personalisation |
After 13 months |
|
OTZ |
Used for statistics and conversions. |
1 month |
|
DV |
To provide ad delivery or retargeting |
1 day |
|
OGPC |
Used by YouTube and/or Google if a video is embedded on a page and/or the video is being played. |
1 month |
|
ar_debug |
To store and track conversions |
1 month |
Advertising cookies
There are no advertising cookies set at this time.
What are your choices regarding cookies?
If you would like to delete cookies or instruct your web browser to delete or refuse cookies, you can do this for any website by visiting the help pages of your web browser.
Please note, however, that if you delete cookies or refuse to accept them, you might not be able to use all of the features we offer, you may not be able to store your preferences, and some of our pages might not display properly.
At the end of this cookie policy, we provide a mechanism for you to accept or refuse cookies for the Service. Using this method rather than your browser’s in-built blocking will enable you to block categories of cookies but keep others active. This will help you to preserve the functionality of the site.
To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them, visit www.aboutcookies.org or www.allaboutcookies.org.
Accessing, updating and contacting us
Should you wish to contact the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service with regard to this website, you can send us a general enquiry.