Site policies

Criteria

The fundamental purpose of the the Texas Commission on Fire Protection is to inform citizens and users regarding government services and to perform government functions. The Texas Commission on Fire Protection accepts link requests made by federal, state, and local governments that provide information and services that benefit Texas citizens and businesses. At its discretion, the Texas Commission on Fire Protection may link to non-governmental web sites that contain information and/or services that further the purpose of the Texas Commission on Fire Protection.

Every link request must undergo review to determine its relevance and appropriateness to the Texas Commission on Fire Protection's mission of providing access to government services. Links are approved for the Texas Commission on Fire Protection based on the following criteria:

• The external web site corresponds with the Texas Commission on Fire Protection website's design and mission of single point of access to government information and services that is private, secure, convenient, efficient, customer service-oriented and accessible.
• The site's content is appropriate with respect to the the Texas Commission on Fire Protection mission and is not a:
  • Commercial site which charges a fee for products or services online (notices of the availability of publications by government entities that charge for the publications or notices of government sponsored conferences that charge a registration fee are not commercial sites and may be considered for linking);
  • Site that exhibits hate, bias, discrimination, pornography; libelous or otherwise defamatory content;
  • Site belonging to or supporting a political affiliation; or
  • Site which furthers the agenda of a political organization or candidate running for office.
• The Texas Commission on Fire Protection reserves the right to deny or remove links if it determines that a web site contains misleading or unsubstantiated claims, conflicts with the the Texas Commission on Fire Protection mission, or does not meet one or more of the criteria set forth above or set out below in the Requirements.

Requirements

To give superior customer service to citizens and businesses accessing governmental information and services through the Texas Commission on Fire Protection, we require that external web sites requesting a link on the Texas Commission on Fire Protection website meet the following requirements:

• The linked site must provide the user with an e-mail address and/or a customer service telephone number on every page of the site, in order for users to contact the site if there are problems with format, accuracy, timeliness, or payment processing.
• When the user clicks on the external web site link, he/she must have easy access back to the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. One of two options can accomplish this: A link to the Texas Commission on Fire Protection can be established on the external web site's main page; or The "Back" button returns the user to the Texas Commission on Fire Protection.
• Linked sites must have a privacy and security policy accessible from their home page informing the user of what information is collected, how it is collected, how it is used, and how the user can review and correct the information.
• Linked sites must comply with accepted standards as provided by the Worldwide Web Consortium to ensure that persons with disabilities may access these sites. Texas state agencies must follow the Texas Administrative Code §206 State Web Sites.

Removal Process

Links from the Texas Commission on Fire Protection will be reviewed regularly and may be removed for the following reasons:

• The link no longer points to the original information or resource to which it was intended to point;
• The information pointed to by the link is inaccurate, misleading or otherwise violates the criteria and requirements set forth above in the sections entitled "Criteria" and "Requirements;"
• Access to the information has become difficult due to non-standard formatting, lengthy download times, or intrusive advertising;
• The link is permanently unreachable or remains unavailable for a lengthy period, especially if we are unable to contact the site manager about the site's status;
• The external web site fails to comply with the linking agreement, if any;
• Customers of the externally linked site excessively burden the the Texas Commission on Fire Protection customer support function.

Rights of Requestors

You have the right to:

• Prompt access to information that is not confidential or otherwise protected;
• Receive treatment equal to all other requestors, including accommodation in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements;
• Receive certain kinds of information without exceptions, like the voting record of public officials, and other information;
• Receive a written statement of estimated charges, when charges will exceed $40, in advance of work being started and opportunity to modify the request in response to the itemized statement;
• Choose whether to inspect the requested information (most often at no charge), receive copies of the information or both;
• A waiver or reduction of charges if the governmental body determines that access to the information primarily benefits the general public;
• Receive a copy of the communication from the governmental body asking the Office of the Attorney General for a ruling on whether the information can be withheld under one of the accepted exceptions, or if the communication discloses the requested information, a redacted copy;
• Lodge a written complaint about overcharges for public information with the General Services Commission. Complaints of other possible violations may be filed with the county or district attorney of the county where the governmental body, other than a state agency, is located. If the complaint is against the county or district attorney, the complaint must be filed with the Office of the Attorney General.

Responsibilities of governmental bodies

All governmental bodies responding to information requests have the responsibility to:

• Establish reasonable procedures for inspecting or copying public information and inform requestors of these procedures;
• Treat all requestors uniformly and shall give to the requestor all reasonable comfort and facility, including accommodation in accordance with ADA requirements;
• Be informed about open records laws and educate employees on the requirements of those laws;
• Inform requestors of the estimated charges greater than $40 and any changes in the estimates above 20 percent of the original estimate, and confirm that the requestor accepts the charges, or has amended the request, in writing before finalizing the request;
• Inform the requestor if the information cannot be provided promptly and set a date and time to provide it within a reasonable time;
• Request a ruling from the Office of the Attorney General regarding any information the governmental body wishes to withhold, and send a copy of the request for ruling, or a redacted copy, to the requestor;
• Segregate public information from information that may be withheld and provide that public information promptly;
• Make a good faith attempt to inform third parties when their proprietary information is being requested from the governmental body;
• Respond in writing to all written communications from the General Services Commission regarding charges for the information. Respond to the Office of the Attorney General regarding complaints about violations of the Act.

Procedures to obtain information

• Submit a request by mail, fax, e-mail or in person according to a governmental body's reasonable procedures.
• Include enough description and detail about the information requested to enable the governmental body to accurately identify and locate the information requested.
• Cooperate with the governmental body's reasonable efforts to clarify the type or amount of information requested.

Information to be released

• You may review it promptly, and if it cannot be produced within 10 working days the public information officer will notify you in writing of the reasonable date and time when it will be available.
• Keep all appointments to inspect records and to pick up copies. Failure to keep appointments may result in losing the opportunity to inspect the information at the time requested.

Cost of records

• You must respond to any written estimate of charges within 10 days of the date the governmental body sent it or the request is considered automatically withdrawn.
• If estimated costs exceed $100 (or $50 if a governmental body has fewer than 16 full-time employees) the governmental body may require a bond, prepayment or deposit.
• You may ask the governmental body to determine whether providing the information primarily benefits the general public, resulting in a waiver or reduction of charges.
• Make a timely payment for all mutually agreed charges. A governmental body can demand payment of overdue balances exceeding $100, or obtain a security deposit, before processing additional requests from you.

Information that may be withheld due to an exception

By the 10th business day after a governmental body receives your written request, a governmental body must:

• Request an Attorney General opinion and state which exceptions apply;
• Notify the requestor of the referral to the Attorney General; and
• Notify third parties if the request involves their proprietary information.

Failure to request an Attorney General opinion and notify the requestor within 10 business days will result in a presumption that the information is open unless there is a compelling reason to withhold it. Requestors may send a letter to the Attorney General arguing for release, and may review arguments made by the governmental body. If the arguments disclose the requested information, the requestor may obtain a redacted copy. The Attorney General must issue a decision no later than the 45th working day from the day after the attorney general received the request for a decision. The attorney general may request an additional 10 working day extension. Governmental bodies may not ask the Attorney General to "reconsider" an opinion.

To request information from this governmental body, please contact:

Custodian of Public Records
Texas Commission on Fire Protection

You may send your request...

For complaints regarding failure to release public information please contact your local County or District Attorney at (512) 473-9415 or (512) 473-9400 (for Travis County). You may also contact the Office of the Attorney General, Open Records Hotline, at (512) 478-6736 or toll-free at 1-877-673-6839.

For complaints regarding overcharges, please contact the Texas Facilities Commission at (512) 475-2497.

If you need special accommodation pursuant to the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), please contact our ADA coordinator at (512) 936-3838.