Privacy Policy
How we handle your information · Last updated 28 July 2026
This app holds medical information about you so that paramedics can help you faster in an emergency. That is sensitive, and we treat it that way. This page explains exactly what we keep, who can see it, and what you can ask us to do with it.
1.Who is responsible for your information
ALS Paramedics (“we”, “us”) is the responsible party for your information under the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA).
2.What we collect
Only what is useful to a paramedic treating you. Nothing else.
When you create an account
- •Your name, email address and mobile number
- •A password, which is stored encrypted — we cannot see it
Your profile
- •Identity number, date of birth and gender
- •Home address
- •Blood type, allergies, pre-existing conditions, chronic conditions and current medications
- •Any notes you write for paramedics
- •Medical aid scheme, plan, membership number and dependant code
Health information is “special personal information” under section 26 of POPIA and carries stricter protection. We process it under section 27(1)(d), which permits processing where it is necessary to protect a person’s life or health, and with your consent.
People you add
- •Emergency contacts — their name, relationship and phone number
- •Family members — their name, relationship, date of birth, phone number and any medical notes you add
When you add someone else’s details you are sharing their personal information with us. Please only add people who have agreed to it, and tell them why. If you add a child, you should be their parent or guardian — POPIA places extra restrictions on children’s information (sections 34 and 35).
When you press the panic button
- •Your location at that moment, and how accurate it is
- •The date and time
- •A copy of your medical details as they were at that moment
We do not track you. Your location is only requested when you raise an alert. We do not record where you go at any other time, and the app cannot see your location while it is closed.
Automatically
- •Basic technical information such as your browser and device type
- •A record of when a member of ALS staff opens your record
3.Why we hold it
- •To send paramedics to the right place when you raise an alert
- •To give them your medical history before they reach you, so treatment is faster and safer
- •To contact the people you nominated
- •To identify you if you phone ALS instead of using the app
- •To keep the service working and secure
Our lawful grounds under POPIA are your consent (section 11(1)(a)) and the protection of your legitimate interests (section 11(1)(d)). For health information we additionally rely on section 27(1)(d).
4.Who can see it
We do not sell your information, and we do not use it for marketing.
5.Where it is stored
Your information is stored on servers in Ireland, in the European Union. This is a cross-border transfer under section 72 of POPIA. The EU has data protection laws that provide a level of protection substantially similar to POPIA, and our provider is contractually bound to protect your information.
6.How long we keep it
7.How we protect it
- •Everything travels over an encrypted connection
- •Your data is separated at database level so no other user can reach it
- •Only staff added as ALS dispatchers can see patient records
- •Every staff view of a record is logged, and those logs cannot be edited or deleted
- •Passwords are stored encrypted and are not visible to us or to ALS staff
No system is perfectly secure. If your information is ever compromised we will notify you and the Information Regulator as section 22 of POPIA requires.
8.Your rights
You may at any time:
- •See what we hold about you — most of it is visible in the app under Profile
- •Correct anything that is wrong
- •Ask us to delete your account and your information
- •Ask who has viewed your record
- •Withdraw your consent, which means closing your account
- •Object to how we are using your information
To do any of these, contact us on the details in section 1. We will respond within a reasonable time and will not charge you for a reasonable request.
If you are unhappy with how we handled it, you may complain to the Information Regulator of South Africa — enquiries@inforegulator.org.za, or via inforegulator.org.za.
9.Children
This app is for adults. If you add a child as a family member, you confirm you are their parent or guardian and consent on their behalf. If you believe we hold a child’s information without proper consent, contact us and we will remove it.
10.Changes
If we change this policy we will update the date at the top and, where the change is significant, tell you in the app.