TOLEDO, Ohio — A Toledo police officer and firefighter are now sharing a rare honor, both holding the top badges in their departments .

Toledo Police Officer Melissa Stephens and her nephew, Toledo Firefighter Kamal Parker, were each awarded badge No. 1, a distinction reserved for the most senior first responder in each department.

Stephens received her badge earlier this month, just weeks after Parker earned the same title with Toledo Fire and Rescue. Between them, the two have served the city for 65 years.

“They’re both tough jobs,” Stephens said. “We have days where you can laugh, there's days when you can cry."

Stephens says it's a job to which she and Parker are dedicated, but they both have certainly gone through challenging times.

"I lost a coworker. We were friends, we worke

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