Website Policies and Notices

Notice of Rights

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. § 794d)

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 508) requires all electronic and information technology (also referred to as information and communication technology or ICT) that is developed, procured, maintained, or used by a federal agency to be accessible to people with disabilities. Examples of ICT include web sites, telephones, multimedia devices, and copiers. Access available to individuals with disabilities must be comparable to access available to others. Standards for Section 508 compliance are developed and maintained by the United States Access Board. Further information about the Access Board's standards and Section 508 generally may be found at www.section508.gov.

If you have questions about FLETC’s Section 508 program, e-mail FLETC508@fletc.dhs.gov.   For information about filing a complaint against the FLETC under Section 508 can be found at www.fletc.gov/equal-employment-opportunity or by contacting the Equal Employment Opportunity Office at (912) 267-3316.  To file a complaint against another agency, contact that agency's Section 508 Coordinator. Contact information for Section 508 Coordinators may be found at www.section508.gov/508-coordinator-listing.

Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. §§ 4151--57)

The Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) requires access to facilities that are designed, built, altered, or leased with Federal funds. The Access Board is the federal agency responsible for enforcing the ABA. The Access Board's accessibility standards are available on their website at www.access-board.gov/guidelines-and-standards/buildings-and-sites/about-the-aba-standards, and information about filing a complaint may be found at www.access-board.gov/aba-enforcement/file-a-complaint.

The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers are concerned about your privacy. When you visit this site certain information about you is automatically recognized by the web server. Also, it is possible for you to voluntarily provide information to us via this web site. We want you to know how we use (or don't use) this information.

Web Site Information

First, our web server automatically communicates with your computer and certain information is exchanged in order to facilitate your visit to our web pages. Our server automatically recognizes your domain name (in general terms this actually identifies the classification of the Internet Service Provider through which you gain access to the Internet). Examples of common domain types are: com, gov, edu, mil, org, net, and so forth.

The server also identifies your host name. Again, this is generally an identification of the Internet Service Provider you use.

None of the above information identifies you as a specific customer nor does it provide any phone numbers, names, e-mail or postal addresses. In essence, we can identify where you came from, in terms of internet access, but cannot determine who you are or where you are specifically located. We get no personal information of any kind.

The above information is used for web site management purposes only and can in no way be used to identify you.

Voluntarily Provided Information

We collect no information on customers who visit our web pages. However, if you elect to use some of the features of our pages, then you will be voluntarily providing information to us. There are only two ways in which this is done.

The first is via e-mail. Should you choose to send comments to us or to use one of our e-mail links, then you will actually be sending us an e-mail message. In the message header we will receive your return e-mail address. We will use that return address to respond back to you if a response is appropriate. Further, it is possible that you might include personal information in your message to us. If that is the case, we will use that information in responding to you.

The second way is that you might fill out a form on the site which is then transmitted to us. If the form asks for information covered by the Privacy Act, then the appropriate Privacy Act notice will be included with that form. The information will be used only for the stated purpose.

General Policy

Regardless of how we obtain information about you, that information is never sold or provided to another source for any purpose. You will never be contacted by us or anyone else simply because you visited our site. We only contact you if you ask us to do so or subscribe to our mailing list.

The transmission of information to the FLETC via the web page is not secure. We do not currently have the capability of transferring information in a secure environment.

Point of Contact for Clarification

For clarification or additional information, you may contact the FLETC Disclosure Officer.

The postal address is:

Disclosure Officer
Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers
1131 Chapel Crossing Road
Glynco, GA 31524
Building 94

The phone number is (912) 261-4524.

For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, this government computer system employs commercial software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage.

• Except for authorized law enforcement investigations, no other attempts are made to identify individual users or their usage habits. Raw data logs are used for no other purposes and are scheduled for regular destruction in accordance with National Archives and Records Administration guidelines.
• Unauthorized attempts to upload information or change information on this service are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act.

Cookies

"Cookies" are small bits of text that are either used for the duration of a session ("session cookies") or saved on a user's hard drive-in order to identify that user, or information about that user, the next time the user logs on to a Web site ("persistent cookies"). The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center's Web site and its component sites do not use persistent cookies. Certain pages on the Center’s Web site and its component sites use session cookies to provide streamlined navigation and for statistical analysis. We also use session cookies as part of a voluntary web customer satisfaction survey that will appear to a small percentage of our Web site visitors as they leave the Center’s site. Session cookies are deleted from the Center’s servers soon after your session ends and are not collected or saved. You can set up your Web browser to inform you when cookies are set or to prevent cookies from being set. You can still use our Web site if you do not accept the cookies, but you may be unable to use certain cookie-dependent features.

Site Links

The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers links to many websites created and maintained by other public and/or private organizations. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers provides these links as a service to our users. When users link to an outside website, they are leaving the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers site and are subject to the privacy and security policies of the owners/sponsors of the outside website(s).

Prohibitions

The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers will not link to any website that exhibits hate, bias or discrimination. Furthermore, we reserve the right to deny or remove any link that contains misleading information or unsubstantiated claims or is determined to be in conflict with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers mission or policies.

Disclaimer of Endorsement

The information posted on the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers website includes hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and/or private organizations. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers provides these links and pointers solely for our users' information and convenience. When users select a link to an outside website, they are leaving the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers site and are subject to the privacy and security policies of the owners/sponsors of the outside website. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers:

• does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of information contained on a linked website.

• does not endorse the organizations sponsoring linked websites and we do not endorse the views they express or the products/services they offer.
• does not and cannot authorize the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked websites. Users must request such authorization from the sponsor of the linked website.
• is not responsible for transmissions users receive from linked websites.
• does not guarantee that outside websites comply with the requirements of Section 508 (Accessibility Requirements) of the Rehabilitation Act.

Copyright Status

No copyright may be claimed for any work on this web site that was created or maintained by Federal employee in the course of their duties. Images and text appearing on this web site may be freely copied. Credit is requested. If copyrighted material appears on the site, or is reached through a link on this site, the copyright holder must be consulted before the material may be reproduced.

Official Seal, Names and Symbols

Federal law prohibits use of any symbol, emblem, seal, insignia or badge of any entity of the Department of Homeland Security or any colorable imitation of such words, initials, symbols, emblems, or seals in connection with any advertisement, solicitation, business activity, or product where such use could reasonably be interpreted as conveying the false impression that such advertisement, solicitation, business activity, or product is in any manner approved, endorsed, sponsored, or authorized by, or associated with, the Department of the Treasury or any organization within the Department of Homeland Security. See 18 U.S.C. § 701, 31 U.S.C. § 333 and 31 C.F.R. Part 37.

Privacy Policy
 

The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) disseminates a variety of information to the public. Section 515 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001 [Public Law 106-554] requires Federal agencies to issue guidelines ensuring and maximizing the quality, utility, objectivity, and integrity of disseminated information.

Background

While Federal agencies have disseminated information to the public for decades, that information was principally disseminated by making paper copies. Now, however, the Internet has changed that way of communicating.

The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) requires the agency Chief Information Officer (CIO) must manage information resources to "improve the integrity, quality, and utility of information to all users within and outside the agency, including capabilities for ensuring dissemination of public information, public access to government information, and protections for privacy and security." Section 515 builds upon the existing Government-wide responsibility to ensure information quality.

Purpose

This guidance is used to ensure and maximize the quality of disseminated information. These guidelines are based on the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidelines published in the Federal Register on September 28, 2001, January 3, 2002, and February 22, 2002. Refer to (Guidelines for Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality, Objectivity, Utility, and Integrity of Information Disseminated by Federal Agencies), 10 pages, 162 kb.

Scope

This document provides the process that the FLETC will use for disseminating quality information.

Disseminated information refers to information FLETC posts on the Internet. This information may be disseminated to the public in any medium including textual, graphic, narrative, numerical, or audiovisual forms. This also includes information where the FLETC directs a third party to distribute information.

The guidelines do not override other compelling interests such as privacy, trade secrets, intellectual property, and other confidential protections, nor do they create or establish any legal rights.

These guidelines do not apply to hyperlinks to information (non-FLETC sources) that others disseminate. In addition, the guidelines do not apply to opinions where the FLETC makes it clear that the material is an opinion or the agency’s view rather than fact. Further, the guidelines do not apply to information disseminated in the following contexts:

• Intra- or inter-agency use or sharing of government information.
• Correspondence with individual persons, press releases, archival records, public filings, subpoenas or adjudicative processes.
• Response to requests for agency records under the Freedom of Information Act, the Privacy Act, the Federal Advisory Committee Act, or other similar laws.
• Information presented to Congress (as part of the legislative or oversight processes, e.g., testimony of officials, information or drafting assistance provided to Congress in connection with pending or proposed legislation) that is not simultaneously disseminated to the public; and
• Procedural, operational, policy and internal manuals prepared for the management and operations of the FLETC that are not primarily intended for public dissemination.

Administrative Complaint Process

This section establishes an administrative complaint process allowing affected persons to seek and obtain, where appropriate, timely correction of information maintained and disseminated by the FLETC. This administrative complaint process has been designed to be flexible, appropriate to the nature and timeliness of the disseminated information and incorporated into FLETC’s information resources management and administrative practices.

Any "affected person" ("Person") may request from the FLETC the timely correction of information that the FLETC has disseminated. For the purposes of these guidelines, affected persons are persons who may benefit or be harmed by the disseminated information. This includes persons who are seeking to address information about themselves as well as persons who use the disseminated information.

Documents and information disseminated but neither authored by the FLETC nor adopted as representing the FLETC's views are not covered by these guidelines.

If an affected person believes that disseminated information does not conform to Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Department of Homeland Security, or FLETC's guidelines, that person may submit a written request for correction to the Disclosure Officer at the following address:

Information Quality Correction Request

Disclosure Officer
1131 Chapel Crossing Road
Glynco, GA 31524
Building 94, Suite 200

The request should include the following information:

1. Description of the information deemed to need correction.
2. Manner disseminated and, if available, date of dissemination.
3. Specific error(s) cited for correction and proposed correction or remedy, if any.
4. Manner in which the information does not comply with the information quality guidelines.
5. How the person was affected and how correction would benefit them.
6. Supporting documentary evidence, such as comparable data or research results on the same topic, which will help in evaluating the merits of the request.
7. The person’s contact information for the agency replies on whether and how correction will be made.

Privacy Act Notice:

We are authorized to collect the information you provide under section 515 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (Public Law No. 106-554, codified at 44 U.S.C. § 3516, note). It is needed to process your request and allow us to reply accordingly. You do not have to furnish the information, but failure to do so may prevent your request from being processed. The information you furnish is primarily used for any purpose other than to process and respond to your request. However, the FLETC may disclose information you give (e.g., to Congressional office) if authorized or required by Federal law.

If the appropriate responsible official determines that a request does not reasonably describe the disseminating information source and the information the Person asserts to be incorrect, that official will either advise the Person what additional information is needed to identify the particular information or otherwise state why the request is insufficient.

The FLETC will not review requests for correction under these guidelines if:

• The request itself is deemed "frivolous," including those for which a response would be duplicative of existing processes, or otherwise unnecessary, or unduly burdensome. More information on this subject may be found in the Federal Register (Guidelines for Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality, Objectivity, Utility, and Integrity of Information Disseminated by Federal Agencies) February 22, 2002.
• The party that submitted the request is not an "affected person."
• The responsible officials should respond to requests for correction within 60 calendar days of receipt. When the request requires an extended period of time for processing, the FLETC will notify the Person.
• If the request is approved, the FLETC will take corrective action. The FLETC will notify the Person whether a request is approved or not. The FLETC may, on a case-by-case basis, elect not to correct some completed information products due to administrative considerations.

Appeal Process

In the event Persons are not satisfied with the FLETC's determination, they may appeal the decision. The availability of an appeal process will be included in the notification issued during the request process.

After the Person receives a response or decision from the agency on the request, the Person must send their appeal of the ruling within 45 calendar days of the date of the FLETC’s notification.

Appeals should be sent in writing to the Deputy Chief Information Officer (DCIO) at the following address:

Information Quality Appeal
Deputy Chief Information Officer
1131 Chapel Crossing Road
Glynco, GA 31524
Building: 94, Suite 200

Appeals for reconsideration should contain the following information:

1. An indication that the Person is seeking an appeal of a FLETC decision on a previously submitted request for a correction of information, including the date of the original submission and date of the FLETC notification.
2. Name and contact information. Organizations submitting an appeal should identify an individual as a contact.
3. An explanation of why the Person disagrees with the agency decision, and, if possible, a recommendation of corrective action.
4. A copy of the initial request for the correction of information.

The DCIO will respond to appeals within 60 calendar days receipt. If the appeal requires an extended period of time for processing, the FLETC will notify the Person.

The DCIO will consider the request, agency response, appeal, and any other documents in the record. Upon reaching a decision, the DCIO will notify the Person in writing of the final disposition of his or her request. If the DCIO reverses an initial adverse decision, the matter will be referred to the appropriate function for corrective action to be taken. However, the FLETC may, on a case-by-case basis, elect not to correct some completed information products due to administrative considerations.

Laws, Regulations, and References

• Public Law 106-554; H.R. 5658, "Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001, Section 515."
• Public Law 104-13, "Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995."
• Department of Homeland Security Management Directive 8200.1 (Information Quality)
• (Guidelines for Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality, Objectivity, Utility, and Integrity of Information Disseminated by Federal Agencies) February 22, 2002

Intellectual property rights theft is not a victimless crime. It threatens U.S. businesses, and robs hard-working Americans of their jobs, which negatively impacts the economy.  Counterfeit, adulterated, and substandard goods can also pose public health and safety risks for consumers.

Protecting our Nation Through Partnerships

• Section 207 of the E-Gov Act

Comments and Suggestions

• Send a message using our online form, or

• Submit written comments by postal mail to:

  U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  Web Content Inventory
  Office of Public Affairs
  Washington, DC 20528

Categories of Information Disseminated by Homeland Security via Websites

• Column 1 lists the categories of information Homeland Security disseminates via websites.
• Column 2 indicates the priority Homeland Security assigns to web publication of each category.
  • Priority 1: Urgent, public emergency and safety information.
  • Priority 2: Time-sensitive information.
  • Priority 3: Information of interest to a broad spectrum of website audiences OR to key stakeholders.
  • Priority 4: Other information.
• Column 3 indicates the publication schedule for the category.

Many of our programs and websites allow you to send us email messages. We will use the information you provide to respond to your inquiry. We will only send you general information via email. You should be reminded that email may not necessarily be secure against interception. Therefore, we suggest that you do not send sensitive PII (such as your Social Security number) to us via email. If your intended email communication is sensitive, e.g., it includes information such as your bank account, charge card, or Social Security number, you should instead send it by U.S. mail. Another alternative may be submission of data through a secure program website, if available.

Electronic mail messages that meet the definition of records in the Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. § 3101) are covered under the same disposition schedule as all other Federal records. This means that emails you send us will be preserved and maintained for varying periods of time if those emails meet the definition of Federal records. Electronic messages that are not records are deleted when no longer needed.

We welcome feedback if you have any questions regarding our privacy policy or the use of your information.  Any additional privacy questions should be directed to the DHS Privacy Office. The Department’s privacy compliance materials are available at Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA) and Systems of Records Notices (SORN). For additional information about our Privacy Policy, or for general privacy inquiries, please contact us at privacy@dhs.gov, 202-343-1717 or mail us at:

Department of Homeland Security
Washington, D.C. 20528
Attn: Privacy Office

As a general rule, the Department does not collect PII about you when you visit our website, unless you choose to provide such information to us. Submitting PII through our website is voluntary. By doing so, you are giving the Department your permission to use the information for a specific, stated purpose. However, not providing certain information may result in the Department’s inability to provide you with the service you desire.

If you choose to provide us with PII on a Department website, through such methods as completing a web form, we will use that information to help us provide you the information or service you have requested. The information we may receive from you varies based on what you do when visiting our site.

We only share the PII you give us with another government agency if your inquiry relates to that agency, or as otherwise required by law. We never create individual profiles or give your PII to any private organizations. The Department of Homeland Security never collects information for commercial marketing.

If we store your PII in a record system designed to retrieve information about you by personal identifier (name, personal email address, home mailing address, personal or mobile phone number, etc.), so that we may contact you, we will safeguard the information you provide to us in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. § 552a). The Act requires all public-facing sites or forms that request PII to prominently and conspicuously display a privacy notice.

The notice must address the following criteria:

1. Legal authorization to collect information about you;
2. Purpose for which the information will be used;
3. Routine uses for disclosure of information outside of the Department of Homeland Security;
4. Whether your providing the information is voluntary or mandatory under law; and
5. Effects if you choose to not provide the requested information.

For the general contact information that may be submitted through www.dhs.gov, we have completed a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) and System of Records Notice (SORN) providing details about the privacy protections and redress options available for the contact information we collect from the public. This information may be used to distribute information to you and to perform various administrative tasks. For further information, please reference the privacy compliance documentation below:

• DHS/ALL/PIA-006 Department of Homeland Security General Contact Lists Privacy Impact Assessment (June 15, 2007)
• DHS/ALL-002 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Mailing and Other Lists System of Records Notice (November 25, 2008, 73 FR 71659)

When browsing through any website, certain information can be collected. We automatically collect the following types of information during visits:

• domain from which you access the Internet;
• IP address (an IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to a computer when surfing the Internet);
• operating system and information about the device or browser used when visiting the site;
• date and time of your visit;
• content you visited or downloaded and
• website (such as google.com or bing.com) or referral source (email notice or social media site) that connected you to the website.

The Department uses a variety of different Web measurement software tools.

DHS uses Google Analytics measurement software to collect the information listed above. The data are automatically sent to Google’s system and the system immediately aggregates the data. Neither the Department nor Google ever have access to the specifics of your particular site visits. The staff can only see the aggregate data from all users for a particular time period.  DHS also uses conversion pixels and tags as part of the Department's use of Google Tag Manager (part of the Google Analytics suite) to monitor advertising effectiveness.

The Department gathers this information to improve our websites and has chosen to not share the aggregate data with Google. We may use the aggregated data to share with our partners and contractors to help improve visitor experiences.

The Department also uses online surveys to collect opinions and feedback from a random sample of visitors. DHS uses Survey Monkey online surveys to obtain feedback and data on visitors’ satisfaction with DHS websites. This survey does not collect PII. Participation in the survey is voluntary. If you decline the survey, you will still have access to the identical information and resources on the website as those who take the survey. Answers to the survey help the Department improve its website to make it easier to use and more responsive to the needs of our visitors.

The Department’s staff conducts, analyses and reports on the aggregated data from the Survey Monkey survey. The reports are only available to website managers, members of their communications and web teams, and other designated staff who require this information to perform their duties.

The Department retains the data from Google Analytics, and Survey Monkey survey results only as long as required by law or needed to support the mission of the DHS websites.

For additional information about the Department’s use of Google Analytics, please see our privacy impact assessment, DHS/ALL/PIA-033 Google Analytics (June 9, 2011).

The Office of Management and Budget Memo M-10-22, Guidance for Online Use of Web Measurement and Customization Technologies allows Federal agencies to use session and persistent cookies.

When you visit any website, its server may generate a piece of text known as a "cookie" to place on your computer. Placing cookie text allows websites to “remember” visitors’ preferences, surfing patterns and behavior while they are connected.

The cookie makes it easier for you to use the dynamic features of webpages. Cookies from DHS.gov webpages only collect information about your browser’s visit to the site; they do not collect any personal information about you.

If you do not wish to have cookies stored on your machine, you can opt out or disable cookies in your browser. You will still have access to all information and resources at Department websites. However, turning off cookies may affect the functioning of some Department websites. Be aware that disabling cookies in your browser will affect cookie usage at all other websites you visit as well.

There are two types of cookies, single session (temporary), and multi-session (persistent), which are further described below.

Session Cookies

Session cookies last only as long as your Web browser is open. Once you close your browser, the cookie disappears.

Session cookies for technical purposes such as to enable better navigation through our site. These cookies let our server know that you are continuing a visit to our site.

Refer to OMB Memo 10-22 Guidance for additional information.

Persistent Cookies

Persistent cookies are stored on your computer for longer periods.

Persistent cookies to differentiate between new and returning visitors to our site. Persistent cookies remain on your computer between visits to DHS.gov for six months. We also use persistent cookies to block repeated invitations to take our customer satisfaction survey. The persistent cookies that block repeated survey invitations expire in 90 days.

3rd party software, modules, or add-ins being leveraged on DHS websites may or may not use persistent cookies or similar technology; however, no data collected in this manner is accessible, viewable, or retained by the federal government.

Refer to OMB Memo 10-22 Guidance for additional information.

The Department uses social media websites and other kinds of third-party websites. The Department uses social media websites to engage in dialogue, share information and media, and collaborate with the public. The Department may also use these websites to make information and services widely available, while promoting transparency and accountability, as a service for those seeking information about or services from the Department. The privacy policies for approved social media platforms are linked to the right of this privacy policy. The Department has also published two Privacy Impact Assessments detailing the Department use of social media:

• DHS/ALL/PIA-031 Use of Social Networking Interactions and Applications Communications/Outreach/Public Dialogue (September 16, 2010)
• DHS/ALL/PIA-036 Use of Unidirectional Social Media Applications (March 8, 2011)

The Department does not use third-party websites to solicit and collect PII from individuals. Any PII collected by the third-party website will not be transmitted or stored by the Department; no PII will be disclosed, sold or transferred to any other entity outside the Department, unless required for law enforcement purposes or by statute consistent with the Privacy Act.

The Department takes the security of all PII very seriously. We take precautions to maintain the security, confidentiality, and integrity of the information we collect at this site. Such measures include access controls designed to limit access to the information to the extent necessary to accomplish our mission. We also employ various security technologies to protect the information stored on our systems. We routinely test our security measures to ensure that they remain operational and effective.

• For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, this government computer system employs commercial software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage.
• Except for authorized law enforcement investigations, no other attempts are made to identify individual users or their usage habits. Raw data logs are used for no other purposes and are scheduled for regular destruction in accordance with National Archives and Records Administration guidelines.
• Unauthorized attempts to upload information or change information on this service are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act.

The Department is committed to the protection of children’s online privacy. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) governs information gathered online from or about children under the age of 13. Verifiable consent from a child’s parent or guardian is required before collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from a child under age 13. If a Department website intends to collect information from children under 13 years old, COPPA-required information and instructions will be provided by the specific Web page that collects information about the child. The Web page will specify exactly what the information will be used for, who will see it, and how long it will be kept.

Our website contains links to international agencies, private organizations, and some commercial entities. These websites are not within our control and may not follow the same privacy, security, or accessibility polices. Once you link to another site, you are subject to the policies of that site. All Federal websites, however, are subject to the same Federal policy, security, and accessibility mandates.