Lake Monticello Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad Inc.

10/02/2026

Supporters, Friends and Neighbors;

In the most recent issue of the Fluvanna Review (10/01/2026) the cover story was of Fluvanna Fire seeks to restore EMS authority after suspension. Proximately depicted was a photograph of two Lake Monticello Fire Department fire trucks taken from a previous parade.
The reader would naturally assume that the Lake Monticello Fire Department was included in the story title and the subsequent suspension, however, that was not the case. The reader would have to read the entire article to learn that the Lake Monticello Volunteer Fire and Rescue were not part of the suspension nor was under investigation.
The reasons for the suspension of the EMS licenses for the three Fluvanna County Fire Companies were fairly and accurately reported by the Fluvanna Review, upon which we take no position.
All the supporters and readers can rest assured that at no time was the Lake Monticello Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad EMS license was a party to the investigation nor, never in jeopardy of being suspended.
Your dedicated volunteers always maintain a high commitment to you and your families and strive to maintain their highest level of training and operational efficiency to better serve all those we are sworn to protect.
Once the Fluvanna Review were made aware of their inaccuracy, they immediately worked to rectify the situation and made the appropriate corrections, for which we are grateful because our volunteers rely on the public’s trust and loyalty knowing they are protected by the most competent, compassionate and professional fire and EMS services.
Additionally, in the narrative, an incident was recounted which occurred during the Fork Union Day parade whereby a person suffered a seizure while firefighters were present and could not take action because of the suspension. What the article does not relate was the patient was treated at the scene by a Paramedic and EMT’s from the Lake Monticello Volunteer Fire Department, so the victim did receive quick and excellent medical treatment until transported to the hospital.

Richard Constantino
Fire Chief

07/22/2026

The Lake Monticello Water Rescue Team had night water rescue diving training Saturday night. with an assist from the Lake Monticello Water Safety Team to make sure no watercraft came into their dive site.

07/02/2026

A modern electronic sign was installed on South Boston Road by Lake Monticello Volunteer Fire & Rescue, replacing a decrepit wooden one that had to be removed several years ago. “Basically, we needed another way to” communicate with the community that we are a part of,” said LMVFR President John Lye. We will be putting up announcements of upcoming events (Bingo, for example) as well as public safety tips like and so forth. Obviously, we will also announce any fundraising efforts.”

06/08/2026

10/31/2025

Big Projects Mean Big Needs for Fire Department Fund Drive

Nearly a half million dollars in much-needed capital spending in the past few months has made this year’s Lake Monticello Volunteer Fire & Rescue annual fund drive more important than ever, said board President John Lye.

“This was stuff we just had to do, but it was really expensive and all coming at the same time,” Lye said. “These things had practically been held together by bubblegum and duct tape.” He said the fire and rescue service is hoping this year’s fund drive can more than double the typical $120,000 or so it normally raises.

The big projects included replacing the leaking 40-year-old roof for the fire department buildings at a cost of $282,000 and repaving all of the parking area for more than $200,000. The parking area had to be re-surfaced largely because of semi-trucks and moving vans that can’t get in the Slice gate using the fire department lots to turn around, heavily damaging the surface, Lye said.

The fire department’s re-instituted Friday night bingo is helping, Lye said, generating more revenue than before it was shut down some time ago despite regularly having some open seats for players. There have also been some revisions to the fundraising letter residents recently received, including a QR code to make online giving easier. Donations can also be made at https://givebutter.com/lmvfr.

The fire and rescue service also will launch a major raffle soon for a free week at Myrtle Beach, as well as regular fundraisers such as its annual golf tournament and Breakfast With Santa Dec. 6.

06/12/2025

50,000 Smoke Detectors Recalled Due to Carbon Monoxide and Fire Risk
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled about 50,000 smoke detectors due to a malfunction that may prevent them from alerting consumers to fires and carbon monoxide leaks, posing a potentially deadly risk.

The recalled smoke detectors are the Apollo America Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors with model number "51000-600" labeled on the back. On the front of the recalled product states "Replace by" followed by a date ranging from June 2034 to October 2034.
The recalled smoke detectors were manufactured and sold for $50 to $100 online, door-to-door, and through telephone sales by Vivint between June 2024 and October 2024. According to the CPSC, there have been no reported injuries or incidents, but these detectors "pose a risk of smoke inhalation, carbon monoxide poisoning or death."
If you think you may have the recalled smoke detector, check the information and contact Vivint for a free replacement by calling 800-281-9667, emailing [email protected], or visiting the recall website for a replacement guide.