Family and friends said goodbye Wednesday to a volunteer Inwood firefighter who died following a response to a fire.

Joseph Sanford Jr. was laid to rest after a funeral at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in the morning. It was the only building in the area that could accommodate the hundreds of county officials and firefighters, who came from as far away as Chicago and North Carolina.

More than 3,000 firefighters paid respect Tuesday during his wake.

The 43-year-old died last week after sustaining injuries while fighting a fire in Woodmere on Dec. 19.

Those who knew Sanford say he was an outstanding man who loved his job. He was buried at Greenfield Cemetery in Uniondale.

A fund has been set up by Sanford's fellow firefighters to assist his family and children.