Fire & Emergency Services Administration Chapter 10 Ethics

Fire & Emergency Services Administration Ethical Behavior Behavior based on a system of moral principles. Each decision made on a daily basis has the potential of having ethical considerations and consequences. It can be difficult at times to judge actions in the face of increasingly complex life situations and policies.

Fire & Emergency Services Administration Justification Trying to determine if something is a lie can be very baffling. The FES administrator can easily mislead the public and elected officials into thinking that whatever level of service is being provided at the local level is appropriate.

Fire & Emergency Services Administration Moral Obligations of Public Roles Administrators have an awesome responsibility to the public. The administration will be directly accountable for the service the public receives and the safety of members. Only the administrator will have the knowledge to judge the adequacy of the service provided.

Fire & Emergency Services Administration Duty to Obey Obedience may be a deeply ingrained behavior for many people. –This is a powerful force that can override training in ethics, common sense, and moral conduct. A leader must find a way to stay independent by nurturing a relationship with superiors that allows for open and honest communication. Many of the groups attempting to influence the actions of the organization will have their own agendas.

Fire & Emergency Services Administration Ethics of Cost-Benefit Analysis For environmental, safety, and health regulations, there may be instances where a certain decision might be right even though its benefits do not outweigh its costs. There are good ethical and moral reasons to oppose efforts to put dollar values on nonmarket benefits and costs, such as the value of a life.

Fire & Emergency Services Administration Unintentional Lies or Miscommunications Be very careful that all communications are accurately received. –Can easily be perceived as a lie –Can be a result of the receivers hearing what they want to hear

Fire & Emergency Services Administration Lying and Free Choice Lying and deceit can result in a loss of freedom. –In a dictatorship, this is called propaganda. Deceit can be the withholding of information. Once a bad reputation has been created, it is an uphill battle to convince others that a change has been made.

Fire & Emergency Services Administration Self-Defense If using force for self-defense is permissible, then can lying also be justified? Lying to liars poses some problems. Even with enemies, it is often better to tell the truth.

Fire & Emergency Services Administration Professional Ethics Many professions have organizations that regulate ethical and incompetent behavior and actions. –The FES profession does not. –There are some organizations that can make judgments on conduct when death or serious injury has occurred. It is up the FES administrator to make sure he or she acts ethically.

Fire & Emergency Services Administration The Noble Lie Administrators who see themselves as superior to the public by wealth, training, or education often feel they have a right to make decisions for the public and elected officials. This results in only the administrator’s conscience judging whether the morally right choice was made. Try to picture yourself as the person who is potentially being deceived.

Fire & Emergency Services Administration Ethical Tests Assume there is public review and discussion. Treat others as you would want them to treat you. Consider the viewpoint of the other person(s). Examine carefully the avoiding harm excuse. Investigate the produces greater benefit justification. Watch out for the claim of veracity (greater truth).