EMS Lieutenant Edith Elida Torres

Edith Elida Torres (1970 – 2017) was a paramedic for 23 years. Like many of her fellow emergency workers, on the morning of September 11, 2001 she rushed to the World Trade Center despite being to help with the aftermath of the attack. She spent the rest of the day working the pile, rescuing survivors and looking for her colleague Carlos Lillo, who unbeknownst to Torres, had lost his life in the collapse of the south tower. She continued to serve as an emergency worker, rising to the rank of lieutenant in 2005. She also collaborated with Lillo’s family to honor him by having a park named in his memory as well as with the Carlos Lillo Memorial Paramedic Scholarship. She died of 9/11 related illness.

Sources:

Gil Tauber, "NYC Honorary Street Names," accessed June 15, 2022, http://www.nycstreets.info/

"Honoring Astoria Icons With Street Co-Naming Ceremonies," Queens Gazette, July 21, 2021, https://www.qgazette.com/articles/honoring-astoria-icons-with-street-co-naming-ceremonies/