Cookies Used
Information about the cookies used on The British Fire Consortium website and how to manage them.
Effective date: 1 January 2025
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites function properly, improve user experience, and provide information to the website owner.
This Cookie Policy explains what cookies The British Fire Consortium ("BFC", "we", "us", or "our") uses on our website, why we use them, and how you can manage your cookie preferences.
2. Types of Cookies We Use
We categorise the cookies used on our website into four types:
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are essential for the website to function correctly. They enable core features such as page navigation, form submissions, and secure areas. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and they cannot be disabled.
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
session_id |
Maintains your session state as you navigate between pages | Session |
csrf_token |
Provides security against cross-site request forgery attacks on forms | Session |
cookie_consent |
Stores your cookie consent preferences | 1 year |
Performance & Analytics Cookies
These cookies collect anonymous information about how visitors use our website, such as which pages are visited most often and whether users encounter error messages. This data helps us improve how our website works.
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
_ga |
Google Analytics — distinguishes unique users by assigning a randomly generated ID | 2 years |
_ga_* |
Google Analytics 4 — used to persist session state | 2 years |
_gid |
Google Analytics — distinguishes users for analytics reporting | 24 hours |
_gat |
Google Analytics — used to throttle request rate | 1 minute |
Functional Cookies
These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make (such as your preferred language or region) and provide enhanced, personalised features.
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
locale |
Remembers your preferred language or regional settings | 1 year |
font_size |
Stores any accessibility preference for text size | 1 year |
Third-Party / Embedded Content Cookies
Our website may embed content from third-party services (such as YouTube videos or social media widgets). These services may set their own cookies, which are governed by the respective third party's cookie and privacy policies.
| Provider | Purpose | More Information |
|---|---|---|
| Google (YouTube) | Embedded video content and playback preferences | policies.google.com |
| Font Awesome | Icon font delivery via CDN | fontawesome.com/privacy |
3. How to Manage Cookies
You can control and manage cookies in several ways. Please note that removing or blocking cookies may affect your user experience and some parts of the website may no longer be fully accessible.
Browser Settings
Most browsers allow you to view, manage, and delete cookies through their settings. The steps vary by browser:
- Chrome: Settings > Privacy and Security > Cookies and other site data
- Firefox: Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
- Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data
- Edge: Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Cookies and site data
Google Analytics Opt-Out
You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking across all websites by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on, available from Google.
4. Consent
When you first visit our website, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner that allows you to accept or decline non-essential cookies. Strictly necessary cookies do not require consent as they are essential for the website to function.
You can change your cookie preferences at any time by clearing your cookies and revisiting the website, or by adjusting your browser settings.
Under UK GDPR and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), non-essential cookies require your informed consent before they are placed on your device.
5. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the cookies we use or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date.
6. Contact
If you have any questions about our use of cookies, please contact us at:
Email: info@britishfireconsortium.com
Address: The British Fire Consortium, United Kingdom
For more information about how we process personal data, please see our Privacy Policy and GDPR Compliance pages.