Ethical Decision Making: It’s Everyone’s Job

By TIM HYDEN

Most of us are likely to have a few memories from years past that stand the test of time. It may seem as if these events happened yesterday; they can be beneficial to us if carefully reviewed. Considering that these memories were meaningful enough to stick with you for so long often indicates that there is a reason your recollection is so strong, also indicating an underlying lesson to be learned-a lesson you can use later in life.

(1) Marge & Dick’s Grocery in rural Michigan. (Photos courtesy of author.)

Growing up in rural Michigan in the 1960s, I remember my parents often stopping by a small, country-style convenience store (photo 1) to pick up a couple of items or to buy a few gallons of gas. I can still hear the creak of the wooden floors and the small bell that would ring when the door was opened. I could smell the bread, the bubble gum, and the comic books. My father would often strike up a conversation with the store owners (photo 2) while I casually roamed the small, narrow isles of merchandise. Being a typical six-year-old, I often found myself wanting to grab a handful of that colorfully wrapped candy to take home with me. One day, I gave into temptation and quietly slipped two pieces of bubble gum into my pocket. After all, who was going to know?

(2) Store owners Dick and Marge Puddleford. Click to view video

Later that afternoon, I was called into the house by my mother and confronted on the origination of the piece of gum she had found in my pants pocket. Unable to come up with a story, I confessed, and we were off to the store to return the contraband. My father escorted me in, where I faced the store owner, apologized, and placed the smuggled goods on the counter. The store owner thanked me for my honesty and reminded me of what happens to those who choose a life of crime, gesturing toward the state prison of Southern Michigan that was a couple of miles down the road. I knew what he meant. It was my first lesson in proper ethical behavior-a lesson learned nearly 50 years ago, one that still stands out in my mind. I lost my father in 2011, but I will always be thankful to my parents for taking the time to teach me right from wrong.

Later in life, as an 18-year-old, newly christened aircraft maintenance technician in the U.S. Air Force, I found those early lessons were beginning to show their effect. At Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Arizona, in the late 1970s, I can recall walking onto the flightline to work the midnight shift, the bright lights casting long shadows as they illuminated the darkness and silence where my assigned F-4C Phantom aircraft awaited my arrival. I knew that the job I was assigned to do-inspecting the aircraft and preparing it for flight-was not only important to our military and our nation but also to the pilot who would strap into that aircraft in a few hours, entrusting his life to a few signatures on a set of maintenance forms (mine being one of them), which stated that the aircraft was safe and ready to fly. Realizing this, my approach to the task was simple: How could I possibly consider doing a job anything less than honorable, knowing that the trust placed in me was so great?

Considering these two scenarios, I cannot help but draw similarities to many of the responsibilities that apply to the fire service today. I also wonder what lessons our newest members are learning earlier in life that they (and you) can count on to guide their ethical decisions as they progress in their careers, thus determining the future of the fire service. In many cases, it seems that parents taking the time to note and do something about errors in ethical judgment by their children is rare. And these children are our future firefighters and officers.

I recently read an article by columnist Bill O’Reilly of Fox News regarding the influence (or lack thereof) of religion as a guiding principle in our country. O’Reilly noted the national tendency to move away from religion, thereby fostering a more independent and ultimately selfish approach by young people. He stated, “It is not easy to be religious in a culture that encourages individualism and materialism at the same time. Little children are by nature selfish; they want what they want. They must be taught to be generous and to think about the needs of others.” When it comes to leadership ability in today’s fire service, isn’t caring about others, particularly our employees, one of the fundamentals?

Regarding teaching children to be considerate of others, O’Reilly says that many parents do not bother to do so. “They don’t have time,” he says. “They are too busy getting stuff for themselves. Thus, the urchins grow up to be selfish and insensitive.” Whether you like Bill O’Reilly or not, and regardless of your religious beliefs, the unfortunate reality of his observation is that this phenomenon is all too relevant to what we are seeing in many of today’s fire service personnel as well.

We talk about brotherhood, about fostering an atmosphere of looking out for one another, and about the need for better leadership training to offset the experience we lose because of attrition and to ensure our long-term survival. We are concerned about the ability of our personnel (current and future) to perform basic supervisory duties, to effectively command an emergency scene, or to speak in front of a local civic group. With these concerns in mind, if we are to believe what is being said when it comes to the growing deficit of human relations skills and the poor ethical decision-making ability in our future leaders, then we really have some work to do.

THE VALUE OF TRAINING

Repetitive training that creates effective teamwork for establishing a water supply, laying an initial attack line, or laddering a building is based largely on getting the basic skills down, establishing a meaningful mode of communication among crew members, and then practicing. This is not always easy, but with repetition, you can assume a calculated outcome. When it comes to more advanced command training involving an incident commander (IC) taking control of a scene (tactical direction, strategic thinking, resource allocation, and so on), the task becomes substantially more involved. It is much more difficult to structure a scenario that will give an IC-in-training the overwhelming feeling that often comes with the first “big one.”

Training and mentoring can take an individual’s ability to a certain, measurable point. Beyond that, however, he (and we) must count on his experience, confidence, decisiveness, and resulting command presence to manage the scene. Regardless of what an individual’s background is in ethical decision making, he generally will perform to a level consistent with his learned ability.

As an off-scene leader, one who is depended on to mentor and guide those under his command, your true character has much more time to show through and influence those nearby. Here, again, is where we may see some storm clouds on the horizon. Let’s face it: Most of us without children at home are largely out of touch with the younger mainstream generation. Yet, this is the pool of individuals from which we will be choosing our next group of new hires. What do we look for? What kinds of questions do we ask to determine an individual’s true feelings when it comes to “what would you do in this situation” scenarios?

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS AND EXAMPLES TO FOLLOW

The National Society of Executive Fire Officers recently came out with a National Firefighter Code of Ethics. The document is prefaced with the statement that it was drafted in response to numerous situations that have been referenced regarding the seemingly diminishing state of our view on ethical behavior and what is slowly becoming acceptable norms. The background of the document reads, “The broad scope of this recommended Code of Ethics is intended to mitigate and negate situations that may result in embarrassment and waning of public support for what has historically been a highly respected profession.”

It continues by stating, “Character is not necessarily defined by how a person behaves when conditions are optimal and life is good. It is easy to take the high road when the path is paved and obstacles are few or nonexistent. Character is also defined by decisions made under pressure, when no one is looking, when the road contains land mines, and the way is obscured. As members of the fire service, we share a responsibility to project an ethical character of professionalism, integrity, compassion, loyalty, and honesty in all that we do, all of the time. We need to accept this ethics challenge and be truly willing to maintain a culture that is consistent with the expectations outlined in this document. By doing so, we can create a legacy that validates and sustains the distinguished fire service institution and at the same time ensures that we leave the fire service in better condition than when we arrived.”

The document then lists several very applicable guidelines to follow in the name of ethical decision making and behavior-an excellent starting point for organizational direction.

A couple of years ago, I befriended retired Army Colonel Danny McKnight, ranger commander of the troops that went into Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993-the mission that eventually became the movie Black Hawk Down. I have heard McKnight speak several times, and I am always impressed to hear him relate to how he lives his life by the U.S. Army’s seven core values. They are referenced in his 2011 book, Streets of Mogadishu:

• Loyalty.
• Duty.
• Respect.
• Selfless service.
• Honor.
• Integrity.
• Personal courage.

These values strongly represent what the fire service profession is all about. We have to bring these values back into the mainstream of our everyday operations, a process that begins with a thorough understanding of the importance of ethical behavior and ethical decision making. Many of us have lived by these standards our entire lives; they were taught to us by past mentors who showed great care and giving while simultaneously reminding us of the consequences we can suffer for doing wrong. We have an obligation to share with others what we have learned.

Proper ethical decision making in the fire service should be a given, yet we continue to see damaging errors being made. We are-and will remain-representatives of great honor and respect from our first day on the job until our last; we are counted on to be there when things are going wrong and to provide the help and answers that those in need seek. The trust bestowed on each of us is great and therefore cannot be lost or disregarded as trivial. If that trust is lost, it will likely never be fully regained.

Recall the feeling you had your first day on the job as a new firefighter. Recall the pride that you felt, knowing that you had been given not only the opportunity but, more importantly, the trust, respect, and responsibility that come with wearing the uniform.

Let every day remind you of your purpose, understanding that you have only so much time to make a difference. You will be remembered for your words, decisions, behavior, and work ethic; each day is a window of opportunity for you to present the ethical leadership you are capable of providing as well as perhaps to correct any errors in judgment you made in the past. It is never too late to begin working on the legacy that you will leave behind. Start working on yours today.

REFERENCES

McKnight D. Streets of Mogadishu. Leading for Freedom, July 2011.

National Society of Executive Fire Officers. Firefighter Code of Ethics (July 2012). Retrieved on June 24, 2013, from www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/code_of_ethics.pdf.

O’Reilly, B. “Losing Your Religion.” The Factor On-Line (June 2013). Retrieved on June 24, 2013 from www.billoreilly.com/newslettercolumn?pid=40993.

TIM HYDEN is the training/safety officer for East Manatee (FL) Fire Rescue.