Joe Torrillo

It's September 11, 2001 Lt. Joe Torillo is on his way into New York City for an important press conference. A little before 9 o'clock a.m. American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. Torillo had a view of the skyline and saw 9 nine floors starting to be engulfed in flames of the building. Lt. Torillo couldn't think of his fellow firefighters being so close to the chaos and disaster. Who are just feet from the buildings Lt. Joe Torillo is working with Engine Company 10 of the New York City Fire Department or (NYFD). Torillo then made his way to his old firehouse by 9 o'clock a.m. finished getting it was 9:03 a.m. Heading to the North Tower when he saw the plane go over him and through the South Tower at that time Torillo realized this was no accident. This was purposeful, we were at war with terrorism. Torillo knew that the buildings were going to fall or collapse. He knew to do this quick and save as many lives as he can while he can help out his Engine company.

Lt. Joe Torillo from Engine company 10 is already in the North Tower of the World Trade Center and both towers have been hit - the North Tower by American Airlines Flight 11 and the South Tower by United Airlines Flight 175. When Lt.Torillo got to the towers other than smoke and fire there was total silence as he got there his mind was filled dangers of what would happen but all he was worried about was saving others than himself. One other thing he was saying was that these towers were going to collapse in a matter of time so he started telling others to get away from the buildings and people inside the towers to hurry that the buildings are going to collapse all over (NYFD) radios and all dispatchers in the towers. Torillo was hoping to get to the upper floors of the towers as fast as he can to help his company that was already on their way up to the impact zone of the World Trade Center which are the 91th -100th floors. Those are the floors that Torillo saw from the skyline that were engulfed in flames.

An hour or so passes by and Torillo manages to get every medical personnel and rescuers from ground level of the World Trade Center complex when boom he sees the South Tower of the World Trade Center coming straight down to him. He thought if he could make a couple feet away they would find his body. He never made it when the air pressure of the building collapsing picked him up like a tornado and lands at the Marriott but when the South Tower came down. It knocked down half of the building, collapsing and trapping Torillo under the rubble but it wouldn't end there. He was found and 40 minutes later he is on a boat to the hospital when boom the same noise he heard when the South Tower collapsed but it was the North Tower and a piece of concrete landed on the boat and trapped them again for another 20 minutes. He then woke up in a hospital in Jersey City in the trauma room on his way to recovery. Torillo had brain injury, broken ribs, broken arm, and bleeding internally. It's now 11 years after the tragic events that unfolded on September 11, 2001 Torillo is now healed and healthy. He has traveled and gone places he wouldn't imagine going to. Lt.Joe Torillo will always be known as a hero.