FIREFIGHTERS OPEN HEARTS, CITY L.A. TRIPS OFFERED TO NYC FAMILIES AFFECTED BY ATTACKS.

Byline: Holly Edwards Staff Writer

Family members of more than 400 New York City firefighters and police officers killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks will get invitations to enjoy a week's vacation in Los Angeles courtesy of 32 Los Angeles County firefighters who organized the effort.

The firefighters are expected to announce the plan today in front of the firefighters memorial at the department's headquarters downtown.

``We want to do something more personal to honor their loved ones than just give them money,'' said Fire Department Capt. Gary Walsh. ``For the families who have been agonizing for months and going to a funeral every week, this is a week away from the daily routine.''

Groups of family members are expected to begin arriving in early June. Each week throughout the summer, Walsh said, a new group of people will travel to Los Angeles until all of the family members who accepted the invitation have visited the city.

Every major sports team and amusement park in the region has offered to open their doors to the families, Walsh said, adding that a private beach in Malibu, surfing instruction companies and boating companies have also offered their services.

``There's been an incredible amount of support for this and it's growing every day,'' Walsh said. ``This is the entertainment capital of the world, and these families are going to be able to do pretty much anything they want.''

New York City Fire Marshal Ed Burke, who has been working with victims' family members, said relatives who are still waiting for their loved ones' bodies to be recovered may not want to leave home while the search continues. However, he said, for other family members - particularly small children - a vacation in sunny California may be a welcome break.

``All of the families are handling this differently,'' Burke said. ``But one of the widows told me recently that she's tired of the phone ringing and the door bell ringing and people stopping by with fruit baskets. The help is heartwarming, but it's overwhelming sometimes. So for some, this will be a great chance to get away.''

Walsh said offering the families a Los Angeles vacation is intended to honor the dedication and bravery of the men and women who sacrificed their lives to do their job.

It is also intended to be an emotional reprieve for family members who are still waiting anxiously for their loved one's body to be found, while teams of firefighters search through the rubble fistful by fistful.

``We feel really bad for these families who are still waiting for notification that their loved ones have been recovered,'' Walsh said. ``There's been a funeral a day since this happened and about 150 firefighters are still unaccounted for. This is our way to say we sympathize with what the families are going through and we want to give them an escape for a week.''