Cookies Notice
This notice explains the cookies and similar technologies used on the Vocus Fire Safety website, and how you can control them.
1. What cookies and similar technologies are
Cookies are small text files placed on your device by a website. "Similar technologies" include things like browser local storage, which a website can use to remember small pieces of information between pages or visits. They can be strictly necessary (needed for the site to work), functional (to remember choices), or used for analytics or advertising (to track behaviour).
2. Our approach
We keep this simple. By default our website uses only strictly necessary and functional storage. We would also like to use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the site, and Google Ads measurement to see which of our adverts lead to enquiries. Both are off unless you choose "Accept" in our cookie banner. We do not use cookies to personalise adverts or follow you around the web, we do not use social-media trackers, and we do not sell browsing data.
You can change your choice at any time using the "Cookie settings" link at the bottom of every page.
3. What we actually use
| Name | Type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
vf_ref (browser local storage) |
Functional | Stores a referral code if you arrive through a partner's referral link or QR code, so that an enquiry you later submit can be correctly attributed to them. It holds only a short code — no name, contact details or browsing history. | Until you clear your browser storage |
vf_consent (browser local storage) |
Strictly necessary | Remembers whether you accepted or rejected analytics and ad measurement cookies, so we do not ask on every page. | Until you clear your browser storage |
_ga, _ga_<ID> (Google Analytics) |
Analytics — only if you accept | Distinguish visitors and sessions so we can see, in aggregate, which pages are used and how people contact us (for example, form submissions and phone-number taps). | Up to 2 years |
_gcl_au (Google Ads) and vf_gclid (browser local storage) |
Ad measurement — only if you accept | If you reach our site by clicking one of our Google adverts, these remember the click so we can tell which adverts lead to enquiries. When you send an enquiry, the click reference is included with it. They are not used to show you personalised adverts. | Up to 90 days |
| Hosting / security cookies | Strictly necessary | Our hosting platform may set essential cookies where needed to keep the site secure and available and to process form submissions. These do not track you across other websites. | Session / short-lived |
Our web forms are protected from spam using a hidden "honeypot" field rather than tracking technologies, so submitting an enquiry does not place advertising or analytics cookies on your device.
4. Third-party cookies
Google Analytics and Google Ads measurement (provided by Google) load only after you accept. Google processes this data on our behalf; see Google's privacy policy for how it handles data. Ad personalisation is switched off, and we do not use social-media trackers.
Google Maps. Our contact page shows a map only when you click "Show map". Google may set its own cookies once the map loads. Until you click, no map content or cookies are loaded.
5. Managing cookies and storage
You can control and delete cookies and local storage through your browser settings — including blocking them or clearing what is already stored. The "help" section of your browser explains how. Please note that if you block or clear the functional storage described above, a referral link you followed may no longer be attributed to the partner who referred you.
6. Changes to this notice
We may update this notice if the technologies we use change. The current version is always available on this page, with the "last updated" date shown above.
7. Contact us
Questions about this notice? Contact us at info@vocusfire.co.uk or 0330 133 4591. See also our Privacy Policy.