Fire service brothers and sisters are celebrating National Sibling Day

Sibling pairs at Tyne and Wear fire service are celebrating their national day.
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service siblings, Sam Nicholson and Ed Copper.Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service siblings, Sam Nicholson and Ed Copper.
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service siblings, Sam Nicholson and Ed Copper.

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service has a number of siblings working for it and they are all marking National Siblings Day today, April 10.

Among them is brother and sister duo, firefighter Ed Cooper, 50, and the force's photographer, Sam Nicholson, 41.

Jonny and Rachel Ramanayake became Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Services' first brother and sister firefighting pair.Jonny and Rachel Ramanayake became Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Services' first brother and sister firefighting pair.
Jonny and Rachel Ramanayake became Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Services' first brother and sister firefighting pair.
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A spokesman for the service, said: "Siblings are sometimes our best friends or our worst enemies. At times, siblings will provide us with our biggest competition, strongest encouragement and remind us of our most embarrassing moments.

"We have quite a few siblings working for us here."

Rookie firefighter Rachel Ramanayake, 27, created a first for Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service earlier this year when she joined her brother, Jonny, 29, on the front line.

Jonny is a crew manager at South Shields Community Fire Station and Rachel is at Sunderland Central Fire Station.

Brother and sister duo, Sam Nicholson and Ed Copper, celebrate National Siblings Day with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service.Brother and sister duo, Sam Nicholson and Ed Copper, celebrate National Siblings Day with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service.
Brother and sister duo, Sam Nicholson and Ed Copper, celebrate National Siblings Day with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service.

Ed, joined the service back in 1990 and started his firefighting career at Hebburn Fire station, he then moved to the Service Training Centre where he became an Instructor for 10 years.

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With another move to Swalwell Fire station, he finally settled at South Shields Fire Station where he still works.

Around 1997 Ed recommended that Sam, a photography competition winner, do a two-week work experience placement with the brigade and a year later she became the official photographer for TWFRS.

Now, 22 years later, the majority of photos and images people see on the fire service's social media sites have been taken by her.

The spokesman said: "Ed and Sam are two of six siblings and are extremely close, Ed said 'Sam is my world, she’s my baby sister and I love her to bits'. Sam echoed the same sentiment saying she looked up to Ed and they actually have never argued as children or adults."