'He was what every firefighter should be': Truro mourns loss of Skyler Blackie

There's grief throughout Truro, N.S.,for a firefighter who diedWednesday after being injuredduring training earlier this month.

Skyler Blackiewas from Fall River, N.S.He was critically injured March 9 while participating in a routineexercise at the Nova Scotia Firefighters School in Waverley.

"He was just a great firefighter. He was what every firefighter should be," said Blois Currie, chief of the TruroFire Service.

"We're all here at the department and everybody's dropping in and supporting us. We're just trying to make it through the next couple of days before we start making funeral arrangements."

Blackie, 28,and had been with theTrurofire department for five years.

'Overwhelming' support

Currie saidHalifax RegionalFire and Emergencyhas been a significant help to his department during this difficult time.

"They have sent the critical incident stress team to support us," he said. "I don't knowit's just overwhelming the support that we're getting."

Halifax firefighters are also offering to cover shifts to give the Truro department time to grieve.

"I don't know if the public could just say a prayer for the family and support them in any way they can," Currie said. "Our concentration will be on his wife and his family and trying to help them through this process also."

The Town of Truro also shared a message with the community.

"Truro has lost a young, outgoing, charismatic man who will be missed deeply by his wife, his family, his family of firefighters and coworkers," the statement said.

Few details have been released about the incident, which is being investigated by the province's Department of Labour. The department said Wednesday its investigation is ongoing and it had no further information to share.

A regimental funeral service for Blackie will be held on March 30 at the Colchester Legion Stadium, according to his obituary.