A retired FDNY firefighter from Stony Brook was one of the five in America picked to take part in the Olympic torch relay win Wednesday.

Rick Doran?s fellow firefighters say they?ll never forget his heroics after Sept. 11. Doran helped out at ground zero in the aftermath of the terrorist attack by handing out tools and providing support for victims? families and workers. Samsung, a sponsor of the torch relay, handpicked Doran to participate in the San Francisco relay.

Doran, who spent 38 years at the Setauket fire department, is also a former fire chief.

San Francisco is the only stop the Olympic torch will make in North America. The relay was shortened due to protesters who flooded the area.