Background The Pennsauken Fire Department has experienced several transformative years over the past twelve years from 2004 through 2016. Once a vibrant and compared to some urban fire departments, a force of over three hundred personnel once staffed this moderately sized suburban community founded in 1892. As the community experienced development and suburbanization post World War I, civic engagement and community involvement where trademarks of the pride of the community. The 1980’s and 1990’s brought the exit of many second and third generation families, exiting the community seeking refuge from the urbanization of the community to newly developing suburban areas. Now classified as an urban community, with a population density of over three
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After several years of positive growth, partially through the development of sixty plus procedures, guidelines, orders and position descriptions; a key component to strengthening the personnel through an effective and measured ethics policy remains missing. The development of an ethics policy for the Pennsauken Fire Department will not only work to enhance the professional decision making abilities, and enhance the levels of service provided by the fire department; it will also serve as a process to improve the overall mental health and attitude of the organizations members, “by identifying their basic principles and bringing them to the forefront through developing a code of ethical behavior, we will encourage all to aspire to higher ethical goals” (Sullivan, Francis …show more content…
The same level of inclusiveness, transparency and efficiency should be applied to how employees of local governments work independently and along-side one another and with the public on any given day and during times of crisis. Only then can we become more responsible to the people have sworn an oath to protect; and only then will our collective integrity and character blossom. A comprehensive ethics policy works not only to protect the interests of the Pennsauken Fire Department; it serves as a tool for the members of the organization to become critical thinkers, and better people through the ability to counter the variables of ethical
After several years of positive growth, partially through the development of sixty plus procedures, guidelines, orders and position descriptions; a key component to strengthening the personnel through an effective and measured ethics policy remains missing. The development of an ethics policy for the Pennsauken Fire Department will not only work to enhance the professional decision making abilities, and enhance the levels of service provided by the fire department; it will also serve as a process to improve the overall mental health and attitude of the organizations members, “by identifying their basic principles and bringing them to the forefront through developing a code of ethical behavior, we will encourage all to aspire to higher ethical goals” (Sullivan, Francis …show more content…
The same level of inclusiveness, transparency and efficiency should be applied to how employees of local governments work independently and along-side one another and with the public on any given day and during times of crisis. Only then can we become more responsible to the people have sworn an oath to protect; and only then will our collective integrity and character blossom. A comprehensive ethics policy works not only to protect the interests of the Pennsauken Fire Department; it serves as a tool for the members of the organization to become critical thinkers, and better people through the ability to counter the variables of ethical