Twins Serving Across Emergency Services
Identical twins Lee and Liam Myers have been causing double takes at emergencies across the Scottish Borders for more than a decade.
The brothers have accumulated over 23 years of combined service with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS), and Police Scotland.
Liam noted that their uniforms help people distinguish between them, but they are often made to "look twice" when called out to incidents.
He added that sometimes they receive thanks for responses to incidents after the fact, even when it was actually the other brother who attended.
Lee serves as a paramedic clinical team leader for the SAS in Melrose and previously worked for the SFRS. Liam is a detective constable for Police Scotland in Galashiels, having joined the force in 2012.
As twins who grew up in Coldingham, they are accustomed to people confusing one for the other.
"Being identical twins has caused lots of confusion over the years," said Lee.
"We've got lots and lots of examples of this - everything from going to a car accident and having to explain to a person that they didn't have a serious injury, there were actually two of us.
"He became very distressed when he was seeing two people the same standing in front of him."
Local Amusement and Professional Boundaries
Lee mentioned that their combined work across three emergency services has been a source of local amusement.
"It became a running joke that there was just one of us with three uniforms in the car," he added.
However, he emphasized that there is no possibility of them swapping roles professionally nowadays, unlike in their youth.
"Maybe once or twice back in our school days, we may have swapped the odd class or two," he said.
"Or when we first started working in the village shop back in the old days, we maybe swapped a few shifts, but in a professional capacity we don't."
Distinguishing Features
There are some physical differences that help others tell them apart.
"My brother's got his right earlobe missing," Lee explained.
"So you'd be standing speaking to someone and they would lean to the side to check your earlobe so they could try and get the name right.
"And when we first started school, we both had to wear name badges because it was just too confusing."
Uniforms and Public Recognition
Liam stated that they are most often mistaken for each other when off duty.
"There have been a few times at incidents when people would look twice when they saw us, but the uniform has definitely helped," he said.
"Occasionally, a member of the public will approach us to thank us after an incident, but they met the other brother - we are always happy to pass on the message."
He added that sharing their emergency services careers with his twin brother makes their work even more meaningful.
"Although we wear different uniforms, we are driven by the same purpose - being there for people when they need it most," he said.
