TRENTON — No one really knows whether comatose firefighter Manny Rivera will recover or not.

And yesterday at a press conference at fire headquarters on Perry Street, his bosses and fellow firefighters, his friends, his caregivers — his entire weeping family — gathered to tell concerned citizens what they know about the courageous hero’s condition.

“Manuel Rivera suffered a cardiac arrest on Feb. 9 following a rescue,” said Mary Jo Abbondanza, spokeswoman at St. Francis Medical Center. “He remains stable from an injury to his heart and brain. He is on a respirator in a non-medically-induced coma. This coma could possibly be from lack of oxygen to the brain.”

She was quoting Dr. Marc Seelagy, the medical director of critical care, and one of those treating the Engine 3 firefighter who helped carry a man from a third-floor window down a ladder as fire swept through a house at 110 Washington St. on Monday night.

“It is important to medically support the patient and hope that his brain recovers,” Abbondanza said. “It is relatively impossible to know at this point whether he will.”

Fire Director Richard Laird certainly hopes he will.

“His job will be here waiting for him when he comes back,” Laird said.

The director opened by setting the record straight on various media reports during the week. Laird said that Rivera ascended a ladder to bring someone down from the fire, and at the bottom of the ladder, after he had handed the man over, the firefighter collapsed.

One report said Rivera had briefly taken off his mask on the ladder and was overcome by smoke: Laird said Rivera actually was not wearing a mask, because he was outside the building, not inside. And the director emphasized that emergency medical technicians on the scene gave Rivera immediate attention and that he was rushed to St. Francis.

Laird reminded the public to use smoke detectors. The fire is attributed to an unattended candle. But Laird didn’t know whether the dwelling had smoke detectors. Laird did say response by the fire department was delayed because the family tried to put out the fire at first on its own.

Trenton Police Sgt. Benito Bello, Rivera’s brother-in-law, acted as spokesman for the family, which has been through too much sorrow and sadness this week yet maintained its solidarity and closeness and privacy.

He spoke about how appreciative the family is of the care Manny has gotten at the hospital which, in his words, “bent over backwards” to take good care of the family and their loved one.

He also thanked Manny’s fellow firefighters for their visits, for holding beautiful vigils at the hospital, for bringing in food for the family. Rivera hasn’t been alone this week; his coworkers have filled the waiting room outside the intensive care unit, plus an additional area where they can sit together.

Nobody knows what the future holds for Manny Rivera. But yesterday, his people stopped and told the world about him, about the man behind the hero. Another photograph of him was distributed, showing him in civilian clothes, leaning against a fire truck.

His parents lived here for 45 years before retiring to Puerto Rico. They are back in Trenton again, beside their son. Last night those who love Manny gathered in a prayer vigil at St. Mary’s Cathedral.

Tomorrow at noon, a fundraiser is being held at the River Rock Bar & Grill at 22 W. Front St. in Florence, Burlington County (609) 499-4997.