Well, it's been one helluva year, and as we look back at good ol' 1998, what can we say we have done? We saved lives, served the public, waved at kids and attended some pretty interesting off shift parties. I bet we did something else though, we downed dozens of our fellow medics.

Cliques exist in all professions, but especially in EMS. Each of these cliques think that it contains the "best" medics on the shift or of the whole service. The members of these cliques say things such as, "what a dumb ass", or, "I had to save his ass again". They call medics that they feel are below them 'MFers' or idiots, and even worse. This is no way to promote the harmony that makes an EMS shift or service run like a well oiled machine.

I'm not saying that there will never be problems, we're human aren't we? The way that we handle all of these problems IS a problem. We need to approach individuals and groups with an understanding tone and point out there good points as we try to correct the bad. This is a serious profession, but no one should be talked to like your under the watchful eye of some 1960's drill sergeant.

As we drive head first into 1999, kill'em with kindness. I guarantee the results will be much better in the end. You don't have to like everyone or like what they do, but we are a family. Let's start living like it.

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