Come By Chance firefighters reeling after the loss of one of their own

The emergency response community throughoutNorth America isoffering support and sympathy to the Come By Chance volunteer fire department this week, after the brigade responded to a callthat involved one of their own.

Cory Smith, a long-serving volunteer firefighter, was discovered by his fellow firefightersdeceased inside his home on Wednesday.

"In a small community like this we were pretty sure it was going to be someone that we knew. But what we didn't realize until we were into the call is thatit was one of our own firefighters," said Chief Duane Antle on Friday.

"Of course, the call didn't turn out the way thatwe had wanted it to turn out."

Smith, 44, and his partner, Amanda Marshall, were parents of three young children. Smith was also a member of the local Lions Club.

His cause of death has not been released, but Antle described it as a medical emergency.

Smith's death has jolted the community of just over 200 residentsand highlights the challenging situations that volunteer firefighters often face in the line of duty.

The department's 15 members are leaning on each other to try to cope with Smith's loss, Antle said, and are availing of professional counselling servicesavailable to emergency responders.

Antle said the department will continue to serve the community and surrounding area as best it can.

"That's what Cory would want. That's what our members are going to want to do. And that's probably the best way that we're going to be able to honour Cory," he said.

"He's the type of guy that no matter what was ongoing in the community, he wanted to be there to help. So we've just lost a tremendous person. And it's having a very profound effect on all of us."

Antle said messages of sympathy have been pouring in from all corners of North America.

"We've probably received messages from 90 per cent of the fire departments in the province. We've got messages from fire departments in seven other provinces and we've even received some from as far away as the United States," he said.

Mayor CarolMolloysaid the town has cancelled Memorial Day and Canada Day events on Saturdayout of respect for Smith and his family.

"It's a huge loss to the town," Molloy said of Smith's sudden death. "He was a great volunteer who was very committed to this town."

Funeral arrangements, meanwhile, were not known as of Friday.

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