Ethical lapses: The firefighter’s duty to intervene

When you join a department, you agree to act and serve to the best of your abilities to meet the expectations of your community and uphold an ethical code.

June 05, 2020 03:37 PM •

As a medical first responder, EMT, AEMT, paramedic or firefighter, you belong to something bigger than yourself. Public service is a calling and not everyone can do what you do.

When you join a department – as a volunteer or paid member – you agree to act and serve to the best of your abilities to meet the expectations of your community and uphold an ethical code.

Here we’ll cover a firefighter’s code of ethics.

Greg Friese, MS, NRP

Greg Friese, MS, NRP, is an educator, author and national registry paramedic. He previously served as the Lexipol Media Group editorial director, leading the editorial teams on Police1, FireRescue1, Corrections1, EMS1 and Gov1. Prior to that, Friese served as the EMS1 editor-in-chief for five years. Friese has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master’s degree from the University of Idaho. He has received multiple honors from both the Jesse H. Neal Awards and the Eddie Awards, the latter awards including Best Column/Blog honors in 2018 and 2020, and special recognition as Editorial Director of the Year in 2024. Friese was a 2010 recipient of the EMS 10 Award for innovation. Connect with Greg on Twitter or LinkedIn.