Fire Service Ethics Chapter 8 Ethics and University

146 147 148 Chapter 8 Ethics and university Constitution Bill of Rights is designed to protect the individual’s right to be different, both an expression and in thought. 1. Examples of turmoil related to diversity rights, continue to shape our politics and our future history  Displacement of American native tribes  Slavery in the Civil War  Reconstruction  Jim Crow laws  Great European migration of the 20th century  Japanese internment during World War II 2. Legacy arguments  Race relations  Womens issues  Immigration  LGBTQ 3. Issues of diversity in the Fire Service  Mainstream topic of debate in the past 40 years  Celebrated as an accomplishment or deed as an abject failure  Often disgusted as a moral impractical necessity and also dismissed as a dangerous experiment and political correctness What is diversity? 1. WORKPLACE DIVERSITY (Difference among employees in terms of age, cultural background, physical abilities, and disabilities, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation.) 2. Dictionary definition: “condition of having or being composed of differing elements: variety: especially the inclusion of different types of people in a group or organization” 3. Challenges of diversity  The term means different things a different people  Is conception of intent, or even terminology 4. Workplace diversity begins with the implementation of the civil rich act of 1964  Forbid discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin  COMPLIANCE-BASED DIVERSITY STRATEGY (diversity strategy targeted at complying with equal opportunity, employment, numerical objectives) - Rooted in affirmative action - Been a lightning rod for diversity critics since their inception  TOKENISM (Applied to the practice of selecting minority, simply for an aesthetic or out of political correctness) Diversity covers three important concepts: 1. Description of human traits, customs, ideas, and beliefs that are common to a class of individuals or are unique to specific individuals  Mostly to social scientist 2. Employment Practices intended to attain a balance of representation of identified “classes “of minorities 3. Management/ leadership theory intended to utilize the unique skills, talents, and few points of diverse population 1. Critics charge that diversity initiatives, promote reverse discrimination and the employment and promotion of unqualified candidates. 2. Proponents of compliance-based strategies, argue that diversity in the workplace cannot be achieve voluntarily, and social justice gains of diversity hiring, justify the use of mandates to encourage minority hiring. 3. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY (diversity initiative, focusing on the creation of a “level playing field “by legally restricting, unfair, hiring and promotional practices that facilitate the disparate treatment of workers.)  Rather than promoting affirmative of action or quota programs, this approach sought to legally restrict unfair hiring  Proponents believed that by providing a level playing field, minorities could successfully 148 149 compete in a fair market  The argument was that diversity initiative should not impose unfair conditions on any group, including majority groups - They believe that quotas in affirmative action’s constitute a second wrong to make a right  Divided into two camps: those who believe that a level playing field could not be created by solely restricting unfair practices, and those who felt that restriction gave minorities and unfair advantage 4. TRANSFORMATIONAL APPROACH TO DIVERSITY1990(promotion of diversity through the making of a business case for social responsibility and the economic advantages of hiring a diverse workplace)  Proponents argue that organizations who lack a diverse workplace or fail to utilize the individual towns presented by a diverse workplace themselves at a competitive disadvantage in problemsolving and serving customer. General views and diversity: 1. Consternation: that proponents of diversity initiatives are usually referring the transformational understanding of diversity  Tend to focus on the perceived benefits of diversity and tend to minimize the organizational stresses that diversity initiatives can present 2. Opponents: are usually focused on the compliance-based meaning of diversity  Critics of diversity initiatives tend to argue that implementation of diversity initiatives can create injustice and have negative impacts and workforce quality while producing only marginal benefits 3. Achieving diversity can be hard and harder to manage 4. Social diversity in a group can cause discomfort, tension, interactions, lack of trust, and the perception of conflict Benefits of diversity: 1. Increase adaptability  Variety of talents, helping an organization to problems solve 2. Increase service quality  Better relate to and serve a diverse population  General believe that a homogenous organization cannot effectively identify and serve the needs of minority groups 3. Avoidance of group think  Brings fresh viewpoints  Homogenous groups tend to lack loyal opposition, and as a result can collectively make poor decisions based on shared misconceptions and preconceptions 4. Better workforce engagement  Better utilize the talents, ideas, and experiences of their employees to better affect  This translates to better performance in a higher degree of employee satisfaction 5. Diverse groups are more innovative and benefit from increased communication skills 6. More likely to seek consensus than our homogenous groups 7. Presents of “different “individuals when in a group dynamic tends to change the decision process, as mixed groups tend to recognize a need, not often present in homogenous groups for accommodations 8. Tend to share greater amounts of information and thoughts than do homogenous groups 9. Tend to feel more obligated to share information, assuming that they’re likely may be differing references and experiences 10. As individuals we tend to pay closer attention to information shared by coworkers outside our group identity 11. Tend to prepare better for team tasks and exercises 12. More likely articulate their thoughts, precisely, having collected their thoughts in advance and with more consideration 13. Assume descending opinions and prepare for them, whereas members of homogenous groups are more likely to assume agreement, and as a result, place less effort into the decision-making process 150 Advantages to a diverse workplace: 1. Last 10 years have seen no great increases in minority representation and almost all employment sectors 2. When minority representation has increased, many have not derived measurable changes in organization, performance or culture 3. Has not sustained growth over the last few decades and organizations have managed to increase diversity representations are often not reporting substantial benefits Areas to diversity: Barriers and resistance 1. Personal Inertia (do nothing/unchanged)  Humans are simply more comfortable socializing within similar groups  Have a natural weariness of strangers  Not uncommon for groups of similar individuals to exhibit, hostility towards outsiders, especially towards those individuals were substantially dissimilar in appearance or mannerisms  Diversity tolerance in inclusion or higher social functions that must be learned in ordered overcome 2. Inertia within leadership  Organization leaders are usually well served by the status quo(current state)  Have a personal interest in the methodologies, policies, and culture that they help create  Leaders often like the idea diversity but not necessarily it’s practice 3. Cultural inertia  Homogenous group majority often does not see a need or value in diversity  Status quo serves them well and there is comfort in familiarity  Do not see a need to change methodology  Mindset off results and indifference towards inclusion initiatives with the resulting undermining of their potential benefits 4. The tyranny (cruel/ oppressive) of majority  Frustration on the part of of new members  Expect new members to assimilate into the existing culture and conform to its ideals and habits and expect them to act as the majority group act  Can’t cause a great deal stress on new hires to conform and fit in  Unintentional social, ostracizing or marginalizing can result from nonconformance  19th century Americans have embraced a “melting pot “approach to immigration - The melting pot analogy describes the expectations by the majority group that newcomers adapt to socially accepted behaviors, while simultaneously their presence somehow enhances the overall culture  It tends to homogenize the group, thus negatively any value that might’ve been realized by diversifying the workplace  More important the melting pot often tends to lead to dissension, frustration, and conflict. 5. Fear  Find to be intimidating  Diversity, sensitive, or politically correct cause some individual’s discomfort  Stories of harassment suits or internal discipline because of unintended inappropriate behavior, cause some employees to avoid fully engaging with women in minority employees out of fear of repercussion  Some employees report that extra pressure associated with being around people who are different is simply not worth the effort, as a result, go up and cliques are formed 6. Cultural and social barriers  Barriers associated with language, nonverbal, communication, and customs can be challenging  Particularly exaggerated in the millennial generation who, more than most, rely on contextual speech references  Inexperience with intercultural exchange is often mistake the absence of understanding, cultural references with a lack of intelligence  World War II military reference “fubard “ older firefighter term meaning a situation that is unacceptable. This may have a little meaning to millennials women or minorities. 7. External influences  Stereotypes, racism, sexism, and ultra nationalism exists, can wreak havoc on the work environment  It is impractical to assume that people will check their feelings and preconceptions at the door when they come to work 153 154 8. Emerging group patterns  NORMALIZING BEHAVIOR PATTERNS (reassertion of the status quo by encouraging group minorities to adopt the behaviors and patterns of the group while simultaneously marginalizing nonconformist) - Dissimilar members may attract a disproportionate amount of attention and scrutiny  Creates significant performance pressure - Majority members tend to develop exaggerated impression of minority members - May become hypersensitive to habits, especially those that reinforce perceived notions - Minority members will either adapt behavior to conform to preconceived assumptions by the majority or modify behavior to assimilate into a larger the group 9. Benefits outweigh the challenges  There are many benefits associated with both employing, a diverse, workforce and utilizing diverse employees experience and talents  Diversity initiatives require a lot of resource, time and energy  They demand much from leadership and employees  All benefits and challenges, discuss previously applied to the general workforce. It’s well established that the Fire Service is a unique culture, and with its own traditions, vernacular, and customs. Diversity in the Fire Service: Pew Research Center Indicates that minorities will become the majority by 2050. 1. Asians are the fastest growing minority in the United States 2. African American population is projected to nearly double in the next 25 years 3. Millennials are on the verge of surpassing baby boomers as a largest segment of the US population 4. 43% of millennials identify as non-white 5. Population of American Americans under the age of 40 have never been more diverse than now 6. Women are becoming more dominant presents in the workforce 7. Women represent 40% of the soul or primary family breadwinner 8. Still underrepresented, women have experience incremental, study growth, and leadership positions 2014 the US has a total of 1,134,400 firefighters 1. 69.5% are volunteers (Overall number of volunteer firefighters is diminishing, since 2004 has dropped 12,000) - Inability to recruit and retain members - With the population that is becoming increasingly diverse, the inability to attract minorities and women becomes increasingly problematic 2. 30.5% are career - 9% of African Americans represented in 2000  2012:7.2% - 5.2% Hispanic  2012:9.4% - 3% women  2015:3.9%  2015 women represented nearly 50% of the workforce 3. 90% of volunteers are white 4. 7% of volunteers are female (NFPA 2012) Resistance to diversity 1. In a par of military structure, diversity of opinion is irrelevant, they assert that we are here to do what we were told 2. Others expressed concern that diversity initiatives “water down “the talent pool  The rationalization that because of extreme demands of the profession testing and higher and procedures should seek the very best of the best 3. Diversity initiatives were only improve optics and that mostly all white, all Mail department is at least as efficient and service delivery as a diverse department 4. Opponents to diversity initiatives, is the idea that diversity accommodations, unfairly, punished, qualified, white male firefighters 5. Flaws in the premise of critiques - Assumption at the Fire Service solely provides fire suppression - It stands the reason that diversity of experience and talent would supplement the need - High scores do not necessarily translate into high-performance - Common sense, supported by case law, has demonstrated that the establishment of minimum qualifications is an imperative or emergency services 6. 156 a way negatively affects the actual job performance. 7. Standardize hiring process used by most departments, is designed to identify minimum qualifications, not aptitude. 8. Group think and organizational inertia have long been recognized as impedance to Fire Service professionalism 9. Chain of command benefit most from loyal opposition 10. Fundamental fairness. candidates  Quota systems or mistakenly called affirmative action - Complaints about creating parallel, testing conditions  Reverse discrimination 11. There isto nothat credible to suggest that giving preference to qualified diversity candidates is in identical givenevidence to all candidates  The argument for giving preference is that there is value and having diversity in the workplace, and that giving preference points for diversity is justifiable in the same way as giving preference points to military veterans or individuals holding college degrees Incentives for diversity 1. Diverse Fire Department with an inclusive culture is much better at engaging the public it serves  Diversity creates efficiency of operational service through a better understanding of unique needs and challenges, faced by groups within the community, cultural habits Testing are scoring methods to achieveprograms higher score my  Instructive in theconditions development of targeted fire prevention andrates moreamong likely to beminority costeffective  Fire departments that are fully engaged with their communities. Demographic groups are much more likely to be prepared for disasters through development planning  More efficient in handling emergency scene where strong community relations already exist Hiring preference given to qualified candidates who have successfully completed a standardized test and inclusive department, diversity begets (Bring about) diversity 2. Open lines of communication create  Opportunities for customer service programs  Increase the efficiency of fire prevention operations 3. Positive interaction with minorities within the community  Increase the statue, the department enjoys as a political entity  Fire departments that suffer from minority distrust can be targeted for political activism, lawsuits, or violence 4. Internally, FD with an inclusive culture report that FF’s tend to become more self actualized  More likely to seek promotion  Have a more positive attitude towards their work  Decrease number of sickness and absence and less turnover 5. Diversity can increase monetary efficiency by reducing Ability tocost, recruit, qualified candidates, require  overtime training cost, recruitment cost community engagement, which requires a diverse 6. Recruiting and employing women and minorities  Gain a better understanding of the public they serve  Tap and do a wider pool of skills - Creating internal opportunities for improved management, program development, and administration 7. Having a diverse workplace  Fire departments become more attractive to a wider group of potential work candidates  Improves the ability to recruit the best talent, most of whom have op shins other than the Fire Service  Highly talented candidates may overlook the Fire Service potential if the employer simply does not identify with - Example is women coming out of the military are highly skilled and trained, physically, experience in high stress and dangerous situations and experienced in working with predominantly male work environments make them ideal for the Fire Service. - Most don’t pursue the Fire Service because they simply never considered it as an option 8. Legal ramifications  Significant incentives for FD to pursue diversity employment is the avoidance of legal ramifications  There is an expectation that Fire Department will actively recruit, minorities and female candidates, absence of this invites court ordered Intervention 157 158 Ethics of diversity – What are the ethical implications of diversity initiatives? 1. Fairness  All people should have equal access to game full employment and promotion  Injustice may necessitate present, remedial actions  Redressing past wrongs at the expense of “innocent by standards “is inherently unethical 2. Kant and Locke: Natural Rights Theory  Consequentialism - suggest that the greater good is served by having all groups within a society prosper - As a result, initiatives to help those in need of assistance is an ethical obligation 3. Egoism or enlightened self-interest  Society does not benefit by enabling minority groups to succeed at the expense of dominant population  Argue that this ultimately the minority groups as well as the majority group and hence diversity initiatives are inherently unethical  This is a minority opinion, rarely held by contemporary philosophers or ethicists  of one’s neighbor. “ 4. Courts   Found that creating “biased “hiring in promotional policies that unfairly treat minority candidates(reverse discrimination) are unethical and illegal 5. Hiring or promoting unqualified candidates  Inherently unethical to risk the lives, a citizens or fellow firefighters by hiring  Axiom: university agreed on both in the firehouses and in court rooms  The notion that it is unethical to higher unqualified minority candidates - There appears to be no ethical preclusion from giving preference to women and minorities who are otherwise qualified 6. Fiduciary responsibility  Almost Manage as efficiently possiblerecognize some degree of obligation to “take care allPublic moralassets and religious ethicalassystems 7. Humanistic consideration  Create of an inclusive work culture  Imposed Organization has a responsibility fororganizations the humanistic needs of employeespattern of discrimination mandatory remediation for with a demonstrated  Hostile to minorities or women represent an ethical breach of duty by management 8. Fire Departments or public agencies  Supported by tax dollars, including those paid by minority groups  Ethical responsibility to equally protect and serve all members of the community - Minority population has every right to expect equal access to service and benefits, including employment Achieving diversity DEMOGRAPHICS (Categorizing the population based on specific identifying markers) 1. Primary markers: race, gender, and nationality (sexual orientation)  Most recently sexual orientation has also become a primary group identifier  Law regarding employment practices, discrimination, and equal opportunity, typically refer to primary markers  Diversity initiatives, and recruitment policies. Also focus on same primary markers. 2. Beyond a primary mark Identify by numerous characteristics, affiliations, and qualities Secondary factors: - Religion, marital status, economic status, education, appearance, and political views - Secondary factors can complicate the attainment of diversity through the sheer pursuit of demographic balance 3. Diversity initiatives aimed at hiring a particular percentage of women, Hispanics or African Americans  May or may not achieve diversity as intended because these markers do not speak to the experience, thought, attitude, or outlook 4. Achievement of diversity is nearly impossible if it consists solely of one homogenous group Demographic factors and tactics:   158 159 160 160 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. Achieving demographic representation Affirmative action plans Support for affirmative action Diversity recruitment programs Achieving demographic representation  QUOTA SYSTEMS (Mandated hiring target of underrepresented minorities based on demographics) - Represents the most simplistic form of diversity hiring initiatives - Used almost exclusively by public agencies, or the result of a court order mandate - 2 phase process  Analysis is done, determining the number of available minority workers within a population, then the data is used to create target hiring numbers  Agency reviews, it current workforce and determines whether or not there are under representative groups, typically based on racial and gender profiles - Rationale for use of a quota system:  Lack affirmative, action diversity, initiatives, or have been actively, avoiding hiring minorities may need to be compelled to do so - Most direct pragmatic way to force organizations to diversify (EEOC, 2016) - Qualities of simplicity and veritable that attract public agencies and courts Court systems are often maligned and tend to be problematic for four reasons  Set unrealistic goals by not taking into account the number of available qualified candidates - For example, females are approximately 50% of the workforce, more realistic expectation for women in the Fire Service about 17%  Discount merit-based hiring and promotions - Can cause resentment within the workforce  Perpetuate stereotypes - Assumptions that by hiring an African American, or woman or Latino, then diversity and thought, methodology and experiences automatically gained - Assumption that all minorities are inherently different from white males, which then implies that all minorities are to some degree like each other  Intended to create minimum hiring levels of protected classes - The unintended consequence of creating maximum standards - Organizations who meet minimum standards will desist(refrain) in diversity initiatives Court systems tend to create numerical targets rather than changing cultural attitudes towards inclusion 2. Affirmative action plans  Definition: governmentally required positive effort to Diversify a workforce  Affirmative action versus quotas - Affirmative action programs that goals for progress in diversity  Active recruitment and by giving preference points to otherwise qualified candidates  Fundamentally changing entry or promotion qualifications to accommodate diversity hires - Quota systems set mandated specific numbers  Have no provision for preference points, but simply mandate the hiring of specific numbers of protected groups, regardless of qualifications  Employers are encouraged to hire qualified minorities, when possible, in the absence required to hire minority candidates they feel come closest to qualified  Court cases found that while opportunity initiatives are legal, they’re barred from creating alternative qualifications for “protected groups. “ - Cases set limits as to what constituted legal pursuits of diversity versus discrimination in affirmative action initiatives  Gratz v. Bollinger (2003)  Regents of the Univ. of CA v. Bakke 3. Support for affirmative action  Insist that proactive measures to increase diversity in the workplace are necessary to redress in the workplace  Believe is hiring practices have a inertia  Active participation in affirmative action programs is needed to “break the cycle “  Unlike quota, argue that affirmative action plans are not only race based, but also gender in class based Tend to benefit a wider array of underrepresented groups - Economically challenged  Latinos are statistically more likely to be living in poverty than whites  Latinos are not specifically defined as hiring “targets “  Detractors of affirmative action - Preference points produce, and equal and unfair access for minority groups - Focus primarily on targeted groups and have no value for groups, not identified as protected by law  Immigrants, religious minorities, LGBTQ communities 4. Diversity recruitment programs  Encourage diversity hires by identifying and actively pursuing qualified candidates from minority pools  May or may not use preference points  Undertaken voluntarily  Promotion of minority candidates already in the organization - MENTORING PROGRAMS (Applied to diversity, programs that identify, recruit and prepare minority candidates for eventual employment)  Given access to specialized training programs to better prepare  EEOC advocates Target recruiting as a proactive method of achieving diversity - May have limitations: preclude campaign at target specific groups  Unfortunately, laws regarding recruitment initiatives can be vague  Well, most such laws express prohibition of recruiting practices that disadvantage any group, they do not typically define practices that are permitted or prohibited  For example, advertisement in stars and stripes target veterans, but it does not disadvantage non-veterans  Sending invitations to minority candidates is prohibited  May vary from state to state  IAFF published a white paper supporting diversity recruitment - Identified best practices for achieving diversity through minority recruiting - Advocates use specific language that indicates inclusiveness, use of formal recruitment methods and use of minority and women as recruiters - Kids advocates the use of mentoring groups that prepare candidates for qualified testing  Diversity hiring initiatives, including recruitment are an exercise in futility(pointless) - If FD is utilizing biased, employment, promotional, and human resource processes, and policies - Recruitment efforts are ineffective if an FD has a general culture hostile to inclusiveness - Well intentioned departments can create policies and procedures that are either disparate in their treatment of employees or disparate and impact - DISPARATE TREATMENT (programs and policies that facilitate an unequal treatment of a minority group) policies, or procedure by its nature discriminates against or unfairly marginalizes a particular group. Treat people differently.  Example would be requiring FD job applications to be Male constitute the spirit treatment in that it excludes females  DISPARATE IMPACT (program and policies that treat all groups equally, but have a disproportionate effect on one group or another) - Example: initiating a height requirement above 6 foot is an exercise in disparate impact. Different from “disparate treatment” as it applies to all applicants equally. - Example: utilizing vocabulary testing may be a disadvantage for populations in which English is not a first language - Complicated: may be justifiable and legal  Example CPAT: higher failure rate for women yet it has been vetted as being  161 162 specifically task related and found by several courts to be a valid test Managing diversity: Goes beyond the mirror hiring of minority groups 1. TRANSFORMATIONAL APPROACH TO DIVERSITY (promotion of diversity through the making of a business case for social responsibility and the economic advantages of having a diverse workplace) goes well beyond outward appearances, and that simply hiring people of different color or gender, or nationality does not make an organization more diverse  Can have a diverse workforce and still suffer from group think, organizational inertia and a culture of non-inclusiveness.  Requires an organization not only to have representative groups, but also utilize and celebrate those differences they bring with them when they walk in the door  True challenge is not the acquisition of minorities or women, but rather accommodating, their unique talents and skills - Negative experiences result from a failure to grasp this concept  Not having a diverse workforce is less productive than hiring women and minorities only two marginalize them by compelling them to conform to the establish culture - Minimizes their contributions to the larger group and cause frustration and intention for the new employee  An obligation to “get along does not encompass, changing their personality, speech patterns, or cultural identity  For example, unreasonable to accept a woman to be “one of the boys “ 2. Best practices in managing diversity  Utilize unbiased, hiring and promotional selection methodology  Clearly articulate the departments commitment to diversity and values of diversity  Review policies  Avoid policies that may unintentionally, segregate, minorities, and women - Normalize the presence of minorities and especially women  Provide ethics and diversity training  Diversity initiatives to career path  Ensure that minorities and women within the department have a voice  Implement process which minorities and women have access to both formal and informal methods of redress in case of perceived unfair treatment  Embrace a culture that seeks fairly evaluates input and suggestions 3. Officers in management  Informal exclusion and can be intentional or unintentional - Spring from fear, awkwardness, or genuine bias  Important to maintain an inclusive culture in the firehouse  Has an obligation to represent the interest in well-being of all firefighters  Must support team inclusiveness  Treat as a team and every member is an equal part  A basic culture of civility, respect and accommodation for individual differences must be maintained  Example, “treat her exactly like you would like your sister treated, after all, she is your sister. “ 4. Women in the Fire Service  Matter of fairness and social justice, any qualified candidates should have equal access to employment of their choice  Fundamental right is consistently validated within the series of: virtue ethics - deontology - consequentialism  Should enjoy fair treatment, fundamental practice, and an environment, free of hostility - Consistent with every theory of ethics  International Association of women in the fire and emergency services (IAWFES) - 2008, scope of insufficiencies - More than half of the FDs in the US have never had a female firefighter - Less than 4% of firefighters - 17% equal other stereotypical male professions such as construction, law-enforcement, and auto repair - 29% of firefighters of color report some form of disparate treatment - 84.7% of women report being treated differently because of their gender - 36% report that their gender has been a barrier to career advancement - 50% report, they have been ostracized or shun in the firehouse - 46% report their privacy has been invaded while showering or changing clothes - 30% sexual advances - 24% say they have been denied training or were trained differently because of their gender  Have a good reason not to view the Fire Service as a potential employer - Significant evidence that the Fire Service is hostile to minorities in general and women in particular - Fire Service lags well behind other traditional male, professions and recruiting women Unethical behavior can have a significant negative impact on the Fire Department reputation - Can impair its ability to recruit talented to people - Negative attitudes towards my sororities and women often spill over into other facets of the Department culture  Impoverished (make poor) leadership - Fails to address diversity issues is also likely to tolerate bullying and harassment behavior among the department’s general population - Incivility can have a cascading negative effect on morale and efficiency  Leadership was taken active role in putting a stop to Boorish (bad mannered) behavior LGBTQ community and Fire Service: First amendment of the constitution support the individual’s freedom to believe as he or she wishes 1. Unique and inclusive from those of people of color and women, Differences include:  Optics, not easily perceived  Until the recent past, the gay community was a silent minority  Religious connotation surrounding homosexuality, oppose homosexuality  Individual beliefs do not legitimize discriminatory actions  Ethical theory nearly universally suggests that a persons belief do not justify hostility, violence, or the infringement of others rights  Ethics have certain principles relevant to LGBTQ rights within the Fire Service: - Protect and respond to needs of all community members - Religious beliefs, do not supersede the ethical obligation - Qualify to be a firefighter have a right to pursue it as a career - US law guarantees equal access to government services and opportunities - Fire members have a right to expect ethical treatment by both department, leadership and the rank and file - The right to work in a hostile and treated with respect and have equal access to promotion - Insults, harassment, treatment and shunning are not ethical  Unwelcome sexual advances - This is not a “gay issue “any more than it is a heterosexual issue Diversity reflects Professional ethics 1. Ethical principles at work here that go beyond social science and political correctness 2. Rooted in ethics  Culture built on the premise of public service, and the virtues of courage and compassion 3. How the Fire Service treats its citizens and employees is a direct reflection of its ethical character and how well it represents its founding principles  165 166