FDNY*EMS AMBULANCE 485
On September 11,2001, Paramedics Carlos Lillo and Roberto Abril responded to the World Trade Center in Ambulance 485/ Medic 49 Victor, assigned to Battalion 49 in Astoria Queens. Carlos Lillo lost his life that day in the collapse. Roberto Abril survived and remains an active Paramedic with FDNY.
A 1997 Ford F-350/Horton, Ambulance 485 also survived the attack. Following decontamination, the still scarred bus remained in service until October 2004. It was donated to the New York State Museum, Albany NY, where it was featured as part of a year long exhibit- Help is Here- a History of EMS in New York State. It remains on permanent display in the museum.
Ambulance 485 in New York State Museum
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Memorial decal with Shield number of Carlos Lillo.
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Roberto Abril Remembers His Paramedic Partner Carlos Lillo
“Carlos was a very caring individual who would stop at nothing to help his fellow man, I knew him for close to 10 years. 1 still miss him terribly and feel that one-day I will have the fortune of meeting him again in heaven.”
FDNY Vehicle #485 is assigned to Unit 49 Victor in Astoria, New York and has often been involved in many situations where we've put our lives in danger. On 09/11/01, Carlos and I started our tour in a very mundane way, the usual jokes before the "good morning", signing for equipment, radios, keys and narcotic pouches. .
The first job given to us on that day was the call for back up of a Basic Unit. They had a woman who was pregnant and they needed our Advanced Life Support assistance. We took the lady to Elmhurst Hospital in Queens. We were transferring the patient to the triage nurse when one of the guys in the Emergency Room told us that our dispatcher was looking for us and that we were to respond to the World Trade Center. He said something horrific had just happened there.
We got to the Twin Towers minutes after the second plane hit. It was hell on earth. We realized that the [falling] debris was actually people jumping from the windows.... We could only think of continuing our job. Carlos jumped out of the bus, put his bullet proof vest on, and grabbed his technician bag and told me to park the truck and to meet him at the triage area..., We promised that no matter what happened, we would meet each other later. I'm sure the only thing on his mind at the time was to save some people's lives and also pray that his wife [working at the WTC] gets out alive.
I was instructed by one of the bosses on the scene to park the ambulance in the transport area and to come back to the triage area. I never made it to the transport area. There were literally hundreds of people injured and everyone was grabbing me to help them. I was able to carry many people out of the area of immediate danger and went back many times to do the same. I spoke with Carlos for the last time at about 09:40 hours.
Just when we thought it couldn't get any worse, the first tower started to crumble.... All I could do was to get as many people as I could in my truck and get them out of there. I kept screaming Carlos' name into the radio... but there was no answer ... as time went by I started to fear the worst.
People tell me Carlos did not stop helping people until he could not do it any more. He was performing his job; the job he loved so much, the job he was born to do with such passion. It was God's will to take him to heaven that way, on the job helping people.
I spent a good part of 09/11/01 looking for Carlos. Finally at 02:30 hours the next day and still at Ground Zero I was told to find my way out of there ... I went back to the station on the truck full of dust and debris and with brand new dents.... But what was worse was that it was missing one of the bravest and most talented paramedics I ever met.
FDNY ambulance #485 ... was used to carry Carlos Lillo's remains back to his family and friends from Ground Zero. You can still see the marks that the funeral curtains left on each corner on top of the patient compartment. May Carlos rest in peace and GOD bless us all."
FDNY Paramedic Roberto D. Abril 49V2 October 2004