Thousands gathered on Long Island on Thursday to pay their final respects to a Queens firefighter killed in the line of duty.

The funeral for William Tolley took place at St. Martin of Tours Church in Bethpage.

The 42-year-old died last Thursday after he fell five stories from the roof of a Ridgewood building, where he was fighting a fire.

"It's a rough day, you know. We weren't sure to bring the kids out. I feel they need to be here, let them know. The community's here. We're all here for the family," said one family friend.

"It's a terrible thing that no one should have to go through. We really feel for Marie and Bella. Having young children, it's one of the worst things you can think of," said another family friend.

Tolley was a 14-year veteran of the fire department.

He leaves behind a wife and 8-year-old daughter.