WATCHDESK

WATCHDESK (watchdesk.org) is a web-based management platform for volunteer fire departments and emergency services organizations. As part of the platform, we send SMS text messages to enrolled members for operational notifications related to their department activities.

• Brand: WATCHDESK — a software platform for volunteer fire departments operating in Maryland.
• Use case: Operational notifications to enrolled fire department members (station paging, staffing level changes, certification reminders, apparatus service reminders, account notices).
• Sample message: "WATCHDESK: Box 8-1 — Working house fire reported at 123 Main St. All units respond. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help."
• Message frequency: Approximately 1–10 messages per month per member, depending on station activity and the member's role.
• Message & data rates: Message and data rates may apply, depending on your mobile carrier and plan.
• Opt in: Express, in-app opt-in via the member's authenticated profile page at watchdesk.org/profile. Requires checking an explicit, unchecked-by-default "I agree" box and clicking "Confirm & Enable". SMS is OFF by default for all new members.
• Opt out: Reply STOP to any message, click "Disable SMS Notifications" on the profile page, or contact your station administrator.
• Help: Reply HELP to any message, or email admin@watchdesk.org.
• Mobile data sharing: WATCHDESK never sells, rents, or shares mobile phone numbers, opt-in status, message content, or any related mobile information with third parties for marketing or promotional purposes.

WATCHDESK is an access-controlled application, so the live opt-in happens on a member's authenticated profile page (watchdesk.org/profile). SMS is OFF by default; the dialog below appears only when a member clicks "Enable SMS Notifications." It is reproduced here verbatim from the application so the consent mechanism can be verified publicly.

SMS messages are sent by WATCHDESK on behalf of the volunteer fire departments enrolled in the platform. Messages originate from a dedicated provisioned phone number associated with the WATCHDESK application.

WATCHDESK may send the following types of SMS messages:

• Station paging — Time-sensitive incident alerts and call-outs sent by station officers (e.g., working fires, medical calls requiring response)
• Staffing notifications — Alerts when station staffing levels change or when additional members are needed for coverage
• Approval notifications — When training, hours, meetings, or other records are submitted for approval or have been approved/rejected
• Certification reminders — When certifications such as CPR, Fit Test, or EMT are approaching expiration
• Apparatus service reminders — When department vehicles or equipment are due for scheduled maintenance
• Account notifications — Welcome messages for new members, role change notifications

Sample messages

Examples of the format and content of messages members may receive:

• "WATCHDESK: Box 8-1 — Working house fire reported at 123 Main St. All units respond. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help."
• "WATCHDESK: Station 810 staffing has dropped to YELLOW. Members needed to maintain coverage tonight."
• "WATCHDESK: Your CPR certification expires in 14 days. Please schedule a renewal."

All WATCHDESK SMS messages identify the WATCHDESK brand at the start. Members are reminded of opt-out keywords (STOP) and help keywords (HELP) periodically and on first contact.

Message frequency varies based on station activity and individual member roles. Most members can expect to receive approximately 1–10 messages per month. Members with administrative or approval roles may receive more frequent notifications.

SMS notifications are OFF by default for every WATCHDESK member. Members must affirmatively opt in through the consent flow on their authenticated profile page at watchdesk.org/profile. There is no implied consent and no auto-enrollment.

The opt-in flow requires the following explicit actions:

1. Click the "Enable SMS Notifications" button in the SMS card under "Notification Preferences" on the profile page.
2. Confirm or update the mobile phone number that will receive messages (an editable input pre-populated from the member's profile record).
3. Read the on-screen disclosure: "By signing up you agree to receive recurring automated text messages from WATCHDESK at the phone number above. Message frequency varies (about 1–10 per month). Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out at any time. Reply HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of any service."
4. Tick the unchecked-by-default consent checkbox labeled "I agree to receive SMS messages from WATCHDESK as described above."
5. Click the "Confirm & Enable" button. This button remains disabled until the consent checkbox is ticked.

Each opt-in is recorded to an immutable audit log with the member ID, station ID, action, timestamp, IP address, browser user agent, the phone number in E.164 format, and the version of this SMS Policy in effect at the time. The record is retained indefinitely as proof of express written consent.

Members can manage other (non-SMS) notification channels from the same profile settings page.

You can stop receiving SMS messages from WATCHDESK at any time by:

• Replying STOP to any WATCHDESK SMS message
• Disabling SMS notifications in your WATCHDESK profile settings
• Contacting your station administrator to update your notification preferences

After opting out, you will receive a confirmation message and no further SMS messages will be sent unless you re-enable notifications.

For help with SMS notifications, reply HELP to any WATCHDESK message, contact your station administrator, or email admin@watchdesk.org.

Message and data rates may apply depending on your mobile carrier and plan. WATCHDESK is not responsible for any charges incurred from receiving SMS messages.

Mobile information sharing: WATCHDESK does not sell, rent, or share mobile phone numbers, opt-in status, message content, or any other mobile information with third parties, affiliates, or marketing partners. No mobile data will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes at any time. Mobile phone numbers, opt-in records, and consent data are excluded from any sharing or sale and are used solely to deliver the messages you have opted in to receive.

Message frequency: Approximately 1–10 messages per month per member. Frequency varies based on station activity and the member's role; members with administrative or approval responsibilities may receive more.

Message & data rates: Message and data rates may apply, depending on your mobile carrier and plan. WATCHDESK is not responsible for any charges incurred from receiving SMS messages.

Opt out at any time: Reply STOP to any WATCHDESK SMS message, or click "Disable SMS Notifications" in your profile settings.

Your phone number, opt-in status, and consent audit log are stored encrypted at rest in our Google Cloud SQL database with role-based access controls. Phone numbers are used only to deliver the messages you have opted in to receive.

For complete details on how WATCHDESK handles personal information beyond SMS, see our Privacy Statement.