Applied Ethics

Ethics are viewed by many as a lofty sub-field of philosophy. Fundamentally, ethics in organizations revolve around values, and ethical challenges are encountered daily in all organizations, regardless of size, sector, or function. Instead of being grand, dramatic events, most ethical challenges deal with more commonplace challenges; a clash of values between individuals, or those between an individual and the organization, including when one's personal values conflict with the value expectations of their formal role. If left unchecked, ethical challenges have the potential to create concerns of greater magnitude for the organization, negatively affecting efficacy, efficiency, and responsiveness of services. This book provides an overview of approachable concepts relevant to the officers of fire and emergency medical services (FEMS) agencies, including frameworks for identifying, assessing, and resolving ethical challenges. It also contains numerous ethical scenarios upon which to build discussion-based learning to develop, practice, and refine ethical decision-making. It provides tools for FEMS officers to expand or refine their capacities to meet current and future professional challenges.