ONE of two New York firefighters adopted by Manchester in the aftermath of the atrocity may have to quit operational duties because of his injuries.

Lt Joe Torrillo almost died when he was struck by falling debris from the South Tower.

But he recovered and flew to Manchester twice last year with colleague Thomas Gogarty to attend fund-raising events.

On the morning of September 11, Joe was heading for the Rockefeller Center to help co-ordinate an event to raise money for the New York Fire Department's state-of-the-art learning centre. But en route he was notified that a plane had struck the North Tower.

In his 21-year career, he has attended many major high-rise fires in Manhattan, and his knowledge of the layout of the World Trade Center was immense, especially as he had attended after the 1993 bombing of the building. He knew he could reach it in seven minutes and offer invaluable technical assistance, so he made his way to the scene.

As he was co-ordinating a relay pumping operation, he was seriously injured. He had started to run as the South Tower collapsed, but was later found dazed and bleeding from a gaping head wound.

Injuries

Joe also suffered a broken arm and ribs and internal bleeding. He was transferred by ferry to a hospital in New Jersey.

It was his second brush with tragedy. In 1996, he was seriously injured during a fire rescue attempt in Brooklyn. Determined to return to the profession he loves, he convalesced for 10 months by taking a post in the fire safety education department.

Joe still suffers dizzy spells due to the injuries suffered on September 11. He told the M.E.N: "I was deemed permanently disabled by a board of fire department doctors on June 25. I have just received a Commissioner's letter from the department, which is the beginning of the retirement process.

"I have the option of either accepting the letter, which leads the way to a disability pension, or blocking the letter and remaining in the department in a position other than fighting fires.

"If I decide to block the letter and remain in the department, I will continue in my present function as the director of fire safety education. If I retire, the fire department wants to re-hire me as a consultant.''