Ethical Questions or How Not To Sink Saving Your Buddy!

This blog is in response to a question to a post, I read a month ago from a candidate. In short they felt that the oral interview had minimal credibility and that the “real life” experiences faced in the station were not addressed by questions asked. A part that caught my attention had to do with his reference to questions that candidates had to answer that “would throw a brother under the bus” doing so without making a decision. Let me begin…

The common questions candidates were asked used to go like this…

• You see your fellow firefighter take a few dollars from a counter at a rescue. What do you do?
• While on a rescue your partner gets angry at a patient who is a Section 8 recipient and chastises them for misusing the system. What do you do?
  
• While responding to an incident, the apparatus operator gives a driver the middle finger gesture because they would not pull to the right in a timely manner. What do you do?
  
• Your co-worker comes to work, with the smell of alcohol strong on their breath. They is driving you today but tells you They are just going to get a few winks and they’ll be okay. What do you do?
• And they go on in differing directions with the same thread…
  

All of these questions were asked to examine your knowledge of ethics. The rights and wrongs of life. And based on what you learned throughout your life experiences, your answers give the board an understanding of the type of moral character you have.

Now to make this type of question plain and simple… If you screw up and break the rules, it’s your fault. Now here’s the pinch…if your fire buddy screws up and breaks the rules, it’s their fault. You are not their counselor. You are not their mediator. You have a simple obligation… notify your supervisor, and that’s all!

The department that hired you probably has a set of written rules and regulations. They probably also have a set of written policies and procedures. Now whether there is a formal requirement made that you read them and then sign off saying you understand them or not, you as an employee are still bound by the requirements.

In growing up, oftentimes there were shortcuts to ethical situations. Your friend stole a candy bar from the store and you both laughed about it and shared it. You might have tossed an egg or two at a house or t.p.’d someones property. Taking a couple of dollars from mom’s purse wasn’t such a big deal.You might have gotten mad at the neighbor and referred to their sexual orientation in a less than flattering way or you’ve offered the middle finger “salute” to someone who cut you off while driving. You yelled at a friend because you didn’t get your way. Cleaning your room or picking up after yourself is the last thing on your mind because someone else will do it. It doesn’t matter if you’re a few minutes late to work on occasion, as long as you are there.

As you matured, looking back, hopefully you saw that these actions or responses were not the right way to deal with things. Your actions were not mature. You may have been dishonest, rude, prejudicial, disrespectful, discourteous, selfish, irresponsible, thoughtless, lazy, shown cowardice or vain.

These negative behaviors as well description of negative character traits described are a window to the candidates moral and ethical values. These are things that the oral interview board may never ask a candidate directly, but they can ask questions that will jolt the candidate into reliving and “regurgitating” their learned response in life to similar ethical situations.

Trustworthiness, courtesy, honesty, selflessness, humility, dependability, punctuality, thoroughness, self initiative, courage and discipline…these and other positive character traits are those sought after for the model firefighter candidate. Needed because of the type of work a firefighter does and where their job takes them. Today’s fire service has people bring their lifetime experiences and values into their occupation. They often don’t measure right and wrong by the set standards of their employer. These rules and regulations that are based in most part on ethical and moral precepts. Not only to assure continuity and fair play, but to ensure consistency. As well to reduce liability. Yes, Liability. Unethical actions tarnish the reputation of the agency as well make it vulnerable to civil or even criminal actions that can result in monetary damages being paid to plaintiffs that are wronged by an employees actions.

As the candidate entering the oral interview, remember this point. You are seeking employment for a salary to do a job. Your employer has real time expectations of you as part of your employment. You are choosing to follow the rules and regulations, providing they are lawful and fair. You also understand that any breech of your responsibility to follow the departments rules, may result in some action that penalizes or hurts you. This is no different for your co-worker.

Also remember as a side note, as a firefighter your supervisor is responsible for your well being including training, mentoring, guidance as well coaching, counseling and admonishment as needed. They are your boss and should be the person you go to anytime you find there is a question that is beyond your scope of understanding. They are they to help you decipher and learn the “rights and wrongs” of your new position as a professional firefighter. The only decision you have to make is do you have the courage to stand up for yourself, your crew, the organization and the principles you supposedly fed the oral board to get the job.

• You are an individual employee paid to understand the expectations that their employer has for you doing your job right. Your co-workers are individual employees paid to understand the expectations that their employer has for them doing their job right. The employer did not hire each of you as a “mob”, “crew” or”brotherhood” to work independent of or exclusive to the rules.

Regardless of the type of work firefighters do, the living arrangements, the bonds they establish or the fact that we depend on each other, the above statement is the basis for your responsibility to your employer.

So back to the topic… Your partner steals some cash from a desk, at the scene of a rescue you are leaving. What do you do?

Answer:

• Your partner has compromised public trust,
• Your partner has compromised the reputation of their employer as well created an increased liability,
• Your partner has disrespected you as well all other members of your crew,
• Your partner has proven they cannot be trusted,
• Your partner may have put their position in jeopardy as well possibly yours,
• The most significant point is… your partner has CHOSEN to break the rules with their UNETHICAL behavior and actions.

None of this is canned. If is fact. It is reality. And it speaks to the right attitude and mindset one must have not only to properly answer the questions dealing with ethical situations but also in understanding the big picture as an employee of today’s fire service.

Forget the talking, forget the counseling or bleeding heart. Your not paid for that and your captain as well management is better prepared to deal with the greater significance of these type issues. And in most every case, if you ask or try to intervene you are either not going to get an adequate response or you may be compelled to also break the rules to try and “save” you buddy. Last I heard, they aren’t giving out medals or commendations to co-conspirators or accessories.

Lastly, is there more to the basic story or question? I am sure there is, but it doesn’t concern you at this stage. Might there be redemption, there may be, but at this stage that is not your concern.

Now I ask you, is it your buddy or your job?

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