ETHICS
The Continuum of Compromise
What Direction Are You
Headed In?
A Guide to Career Survival
ETHICS
The Continuum of Compromise
What Direction Are You
Headed In?
A Guide to Career Survival
Telecommunicator & Ethics
“It’s
Vegas
Baby!”
Objectives
• Define the terms Ethics, Values &
Character
• List the ways a Telecommunicator
can lose his/her integrity.
• List the common offenses a
Telecommunicator can commit.
Telecommunications
• Why is Integrity Compromised?
• Continuum of Compromise
• Common Offenses
Class Schedule
• The Continuum of Compromise
Explanation of the Continuum and a
discussion of the various fazes and
the affect it can have on a
communications center.
Telecommunicator & Ethics
How does a Telecommunicator or for
that matter any employee, lose their
Integrity?
• A sense of victimization.
• A sense of entitlement vs.
accountability.
• A sense of loyalty vs. integrity.
Why is Integrity Compromised?
Victimization
Acts of Omission
Acts of Commission
Criminal
Class Schedule
• Introduction to Ethics
Flip Chart Activity-Each student in
table groups will come up with a list
of their individual definition of
Ethics. Then each table group will
decide on a common definition and
present to the class-discussion.
Class Schedule
• Values
FCA-Students will list their own ideas
of what values are and where they
came from. Then group members
will compose a common list of
generally accepted values and
present to the class.
Class Schedule
• Common Rationalizations for
Unethical Behavior
FCA-Each student will compile a list
of what they think may be common
rationalizations. Then each table
group will decide on a common list
and present to the class-discussion
Telecommunicator
Conduct
Wednesday, November 28 2007
A KVUE-TV report revealed that Austin (Tex.) dispatcher Domonica
Ivory has a history of sleeping on-duty, but was never disciplined or fired.
Reporter Rudy Koski documented several 911 calls that were routed to
Ivory by the comm center's ACD, and which she answered with slurred
speech and confusion. Koski also found out that the 6-year veteran
dispatcher was caught napping by supervisors several times since last
March, and was then put on a performance improvement plan. Koski
obtained a series of e-mail between supervisors and managers about
Ivory's performance, including one recommendation that stated,
"Terminate, before someone dies.
Dispatch Monthly
Telecommunicator
Conduct
Tuesday, November 27 2007
A three-year veteran Skokie (Ill.) police/fire dispatcher has been
arrested in connection with an on-going sexual relationship he
had with a 15 year-old girl. Mark Mendez, 27, was put on
administrative leave and arrested by Harwood Heights police after
a tipster gave them information about the relationship. Police said
Mendez met the girl at least eight months ago at a bowling alley
where he also worked part-time, and that he also had another job
as an events security officer at a Skokie high school. HHPD Capt.
Mario Ricchio said Mendez was married and a new father, and
cooperated with police after being confronted with the facts. He's
free on bond.
Dispatch Monthly
Telecommunicator
Conduct
Monday, November 26 2007
Two Paintsville (Ken.) dispatchers were reprimanded for
mishandling a 911 call reporting a fight that ended with the
death of one man. Mayor Bob Porter said the unnamed
dispatchers failed to send deputies to the correct location of
the fight where a man was hit in the head with a bottle. Family
members took the man to the hospital, where he later died. The
incident occurred on the road named "Head of Pickle Fork,"
and that's what the caller said before hanging up. The calltaker
called the woman back, but there was no answer. A radio
dispatcher then called a deputy and, during a casuallysounding discussion, sent him to a location on the road named
"Pickle Fork." The deputy responded but found no one.
Dispatch Monthly
Conclusion
In the society in which we live and work, each day
the telecommunicator must make many decisions.
These decisions involve all aspects of life from the
simplest of choices to those that can have a major
impact on your life or that of someone else.
Telecommunicators are faced with the same ethical
dilemmas as the police officer. We are all in this
together.
ETHICS
The Continuum of Compromise
What Direction Are You
Headed In?
A Guide to Career Survival