"There was a loud roar and I could see the South Tower coming down on me."

Moments after he arrived at the Emergency Medical Services command post near Ground Zero on Sept. 11, EMS Lieutenant Roger Moore heard a loud roar. "I looked up. I could see the South Tower coming down on me," said Mr. Moore, who arrived on the scene of the Sept. 11 attack just after the second plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

Mr. Moore bolted toward the World Financial Center.

As dust and debris surrounded him, he fell and severed the muscle over his left knee, severely injured his right knee and broke an elbow. He was one of two dozen members of Uniformed EMS Officers Union Local 3621 injured on 9/11.

Two Firefighters put him on a stretcher and fought their way through the shaking World Financial Center to the Battery Park marina. A police launch took him to Ellis Island and later to Jersey City Medical Center, where he stayed a few days. Mr. Moore spent a month at Staten Island Hospital and went through two operations. He has progressed from a wheelchair to a walker to a cane. He goes to physical therapy three times a week.

He feels fortunate to be covered by a line-of-duty-injury clause in Local 3621's contract, which means he is receiving his full salary. Eventually, he will be covered by a disability pension under the state's Workers' Compensation law.

But as Mr. Moore throws his energy into his physical rehabilitation, the need to plan for a career change adds to the pain of his recovery. Unfortunately, his injuries will prevent him from returning to his EMS job. "I am 48 and too young to retire," said Mr. Moore, who plans to return to school and is considering studying Web design.

— G.N.H.