L.A. FIREFIGHTERS TRAVEL TO NYC TO SUPPORT THEIR BROTHERS.

Byline: Bhavna Mistry Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - A team of Santa Clarita firefighters in New York had yet to see Ground Zero Thursday but already felt the sadness permeating the city since the collapse of the World Trade towers.

At the station where the Los Angeles County firefighters were visiting, two young children come each day, wondering ``Have you found my daddy yet?``

``They play with them, treat them like one of their own,'' Firefighter Steve Toledo of Valencia said of his New York colleagues.

New York Fire Station 15 lost 15 men, including the father of the two boys who wait for some news of their father. The men of Station 15 feel overwhelmed.

``It was the most difficult thing for me to see,'' Toledo said. ``I had to take a little walk.''

Outside St. Patrick's Cathedral, where firefighters attended the funeral of one of their own, along with thousands of mourners - including New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, engineer Jerry Thomsen met an 8-year-old boy.

The youngster walked up to the California firefighter and showed him a photograph of his father. He asked if Thomsen had seen him.

``He was heartbroken,'' Thomsen said. ``He looked so sad. I just wanted to take away some of the somberness.''

``They still have hope,`` he said. ``They're not letting go.''

Hoping to distract the child from his pain, Thomsen talked about the Yankees going to the World Series and asked about the youngster's sports heroes and soccer.

``I see that you're a soccer player,'' Thomsen said to the boy, referring to a designation on his clothing.

He asked him what position he played and drew the child out.

``I tried to bring a smile to his face,'' Thomsen said. ``I could see him come alive.''

Just moments earlier, Thomsen shed tears as he stood in formation with fellow firefighters outside the church, attending the third funeral of their trip.

``The tears just rolled down my eyes because you know of the loss,'' Thomsen said. ``It was definitely a moving experience.''

Toledo and Thomsen are two of 17 local firefighters who flew to New York on Oct. 24 as part of a group of firefighters taking turns to help their East Coast brothers.

They are paying their own way and using vacation time - staying at the local YMCA and attending funerals, visiting fire stations and showing their support for firefighters, their families and their children.

``We hurt when you have one person (lost), to lose three is like a catastrophe. But to lose 300 is hard to fathom,'' said Capt. Dean McGuire, 46, of Seal Beach who works at Fire Station 73 in Newhall, where many of the local firefighters are from.

The L.A. firefighters had plans to visit Station 73 in the Bronx after attending their third funeral Friday. Today they will visit ground zero.

``We are fortunate that we have been able to come out and help them out as best as we can,'' said Firefighter Simon Sage, 42, of Valencia. ``Our presence has been greatly appreciated. It's difficult to put it in words.''

While they all agree their New York visit was emotionally difficult, they also found it well worth it.

``We just wanted to go and comfort them,'' Toledo said. ``You go and see the look in their eyes, it's incredible. They are overwhelmed. Many are still in shock. I think we were able to help. It feels good to be here.''

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3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Firefighters from Los Angeles County visit their New York City colleagues.

(2 -- 3) At left, Los Angeles County firefighters attend a New York firefighter's funeral, above, which is distinguished by the traditional contingent of marching bagpipers.