With the great popularity of social media these days and the ease of uploading and sharing information on the web, a lot of firefighters are tempted to join the bandwagon while they are on the job.
Perhaps it's an innocent mistake, thinking that you can take a selfie in front of a burning house just to show what you do at work. But you need to know that it's not the same as a teacher sharing photos of his classroom or a salesman uploading a video of his product testimonial.
When you're working as a firefighter, you are considered a public servant. You handle very sensitive situations. Hence, ethical and moral measures are much more complex. It's important that you know how and when to draw the line.
Knowing When to Take Pictures
When phones with cameras and Internet access began coming out in the market, social media couldn't help but get bigger and bigger. This is why out of all the firefighters on a scene, there's always a few that carry around mobile devices and are sometimes tempted to take a snapshot or two. Well, it's one thing to take pictures for personal remembrance and it's another to share them with others.Being able to take photos in the midst of a crime scene or fire may have its benefits, such as when you're in need of a specific type of equipment to be brought in or if you have to inform the others of what's happening inside. But then, if it's just for the sake of sharing or showing off, then it's certainly unethical. Besides, these scenes are not for public viewing.
Why Sharing is a Big No-No
You have to remember that being a firefighter entails you to be sensitive of those involved in every incident you go to. In the past, there were firefighters who made the mistake of sharing gruesome photos of murder scenes which has offended family and relatives of the victims. There were also those who had the nerve to ask bystanders and neighbors to take their pictures while a house was burning in the background.Such behavior is certainly unbecoming of a community servant. It doesn't just reflect your fire department in a bad light, but it stains your own professionalism. Furthermore, you end up making other people feel bad because of this misconduct.
Understanding Your Role in the Community
What do you think is the role of a firefighter in the community? If you fully grasp the importance of your role, you'll be able to tell which actions are ethical and which are not. And of course, it also helps if there are ethics courses provided for those in the fire service.Hence, you just have to accept the fact that you're not like everybody else. You can't mix social media and work because the nature of your job is different.
Firefighters are known as unsung heroes because hardly anybody recognizes or praises your efforts on an individual level. You are not placed on the pedestal as much even if you save lives on a regular basis. This is because it's your job and people expect you to do those things.
Thus, it's not ethical to share on social media the details of what you do and the situations you handle. It's considered distasteful and rude even if you had clean intentions to begin with.
Take note too that social media ethics doesn't end with just pictures. There are so many other aspects of it that you have to look into. Be careful with what you post about yourself, how you comment on certain issues and events, and more. It comes with the job, so you have to live with this reality.
