NEWS
CUMBERLAND VALLEY 
VOLUNTEER FIREMEN'S
ASSOCIATION
firefighterbehavior@cvvfa.org
NATIONAL FIREFIGHTER
CODE OF ETHICS
SET FOR RELEASE:
Reminds Firefighters of Their Obligation in
Serving
The American fire
and emergency services has a very proud tradition of serving communities across our nation that dates back to colonial times. Throughout our nation’s history, firefighters have been looked upon with great respect and admiration for their courage
and dedication to their
profession. To preserve the public’s trust, a National Firefighter Code of Ethics was developed by a group of fire service
leaders that calls on individual firefighters to pledge
their
support for maintaining the highest level of professionalism and behavior.
The
idea
for
the
Code was initially proposed in the Fire Service Reputation Management White
Paper published by the Cumberland Valley Volunteer
Firemen’s Association (CVVFA). Since then, the
idea gained momentum
and received support from the
highest echelon of
fire
service leadership.
“We may never
have
the
opportunity again and I urge all fire service leaders to develop, establish, disseminate, abide
and enforce
a fire service code of ethics, said then-U.S. Fire
Administrator Kelvin Cochran in 2010.
The
Code is a guide for acceptable behavior already practiced by all but a
very
small percentage
of the fire service. Isolated events that have occurred across the
country involving lapses in ethical judgment by fire service
personnel, led to the Code of
Ethics being developed. It was the brainchild
of the National Society of Executive
Fire
Officers (NSEFO) and has since gained the support of a
number of local, state
and national organizations, as
well as prominent fire
service
leaders.
“The
Code
of Ethics serves to remind our brethren firefighters of our moral and ethical obligation to the profession as well as to the people we serve,”
said CVVFA Past President Steve
Austin. “The
public places great trust in our profession and we need to exercise good judgment in order to preserve that trust. The
Code of
Ethics can serve
as a compass to guide
us
in that
direction.”
With the support of various fire
service organizations, the
Code will be distributed throughout the
fire service. Individual firefighters are encouraged to sign the Code and keep it in view to remind themselves each
day
of their pledge
to
the highest standards of
professionalism and behavior.
About the Cumberland
Valley Volunteer Firemen’s
Association: Established in 1901
the CVVFA provides firefighters
and other emergency responders
with Training, Leadership, and Fraternalism. The Association
created the
website www.FirefighterBehavior.com where the Association’s Fire
Service Reputation
Management White Paper may be
downloaded.
Firefighter Code of Ethics |
