Linking Policy
Evaluation Criteria
USFA evaluates all suggested links using the following criteria:
- Does the recommended Website complement existing information, products and services on usfa.fema.gov?
- Is the recommended Website accessible and applicable to a wide audience?
- Is the recommended Website's content relevant, useful and authoritative for citizens, businesses and/or government officials?
- Does the recommended Website's information appear to be accurate and current?
For our Federal Fire Links database, the following criteria are also used:
- Is the recommended Website an official Federal government-owned or supported website?
- Does the recommended Website provide official Federal government information or services?
Links to Government Web Sites
USFA can add a link to any government Website that is publicly available unless directed not to by the agency that owns the site. Acceptable Federal government-owned or government-sponsored Website domains include .gov, .mil and .fed.us. USFA also links to: quasi-government agencies and Websites created by public sector/private sector partnerships; state and local government sites; and some government-sponsored Websites that end in .com, .org, or .net.
Links to Non-Government Web Sites
USFA links to Websites that are not government-owned or government-sponsored if these Websites complement existing information, products and services on the USFA Website. USFA provides these non-government Websites as a public service only. USFA will not link to non-government sites to advertise products and/or services. The U.S. government neither endorses nor guarantees in any way the external organizations, services, advice, or products included in these Website links. Furthermore, the U.S. government neither controls nor guarantees the accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of the information contained in non-government Website links. (See Disclaimer of Endorsement for more information on this topic.)
Reviewing Links for Currency
All external links are reviewed quarterly to make sure they work and that they still add value.
Prohibitions
USFA will not link to any Website that exhibits hate, bias, or discrimination. Furthermore, USFA reserves the right to deny or remove any link that contains misleading information or unsubstantiated claims, or is determined to be in conflict with USFA's mission or policies.
Disclaimer of Endorsement
The information posted on the USFA Website includes hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and/or private organizations. USFA provides these links and pointers solely for our users' information and convenience. When users select a link to an outside website, they are leaving the USFA Website and are subject to the privacy and security policies of the owners/sponsors of the outside Website.
- USFA does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of information contained on a linked Website.
- USFA does not endorse the organizations sponsoring linked Websites, and we do not endorse the views they express or the products/services they offer.
- USFA cannot authorize the use of copyrighted materials contained in linked Websites. Users must request such authorization from the sponsor of the linked Website.
- USFA is not responsible for transmissions users receive from linked Websites.
- USFA does not guarantee that outside Websites comply with Section 508 (Accessibility Requirements) of the Rehabilitation Act.
Privacy and Security
Check the Privacy and Security Notice for more information about USFA Privacy and Security policies.
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