Transcript produces greater benefit

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).
Fire & Emergency Services
Administration