Terms of Service

RespondConnect is a members-first network for first responders. Each member is verified by a colleague at their own department - someone who holds the verifying role there - before they get access, and the network is built to span multiple agencies. Responsibility is layered: your agency governs identity verification and the space it runs (its board, roster, and moderation), while RespondConnect operates and governs the wider network - the cross-agency Communities and the platform-owned safe spaces (peer support, wellness, polls) - which are not controlled by any single agency. Your use is also governed by your agency's own policies. How we collect, use, and protect your information - including our purpose-bound, audited operator access - is described in our Privacy Policy. The formal data-protection roles (controller, joint controller, processor) have not been allocated yet. Until they are, read this as a description of how the system actually behaves rather than as a legal role allocation.

Access is limited to personnel whose identity has been verified by a verifying member at their own participating department, and to sponsored adult household members. Keep your credentials secure; you're responsible for activity on your account. Misrepresenting your identity or sharing your account is prohibited.

Your use must comply with the Acceptable Use Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference; it prohibits harassment, doxxing, impersonation, unlawful or explicit content, and attempts to access accounts or circumvent controls that aren't yours. Child sexual abuse material and the exploitation or endangerment of minors carry zero tolerance: we terminate the account immediately, preserve the material as required by law, and report it to NCMEC and law enforcement. We may remove content or restrict access that violates the policy.

You retain ownership of the content you post. You grant RespondConnect and your agency the license needed to store and display that content within your agency's space and to operate the service. We may remove content that violates these Terms or the law.

RespondConnect is an independent platform. It is not an official system of, and is not operated, sponsored, or endorsed by, any government agency. Members at your department verify identities and moderate their own community; the department itself does not operate the service. An agency's name and insignia are shown only to identify its community and do not imply that the agency operates or endorses this platform.

The service is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. RespondConnect is a communication and coordination tool, not a system of record for official police business, evidence, or dispatch, and is not a substitute for your agency's official systems.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, RespondConnect is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from use of the service. Nothing here limits liability that cannot be limited by law.

Your agency or the platform may suspend or terminate access for violations of these Terms or the Acceptable Use Policy. A hold placed for legal or safety reasons is set by the platform/legal team and cannot be released by an agency.

We may update these Terms and will communicate material changes in-portal; continued use after an update means you accept it. Governing law and venue will be specified in the final published version.