Lamar County Fire Rescue

09/04/2026

UPDATE: Mr. Brown was found safe.

James Brown, who is an 89 year old black male, was last seen yesterday (Wednesday) morning around College St in Forsyth. We do not have a clothing description. He is possibly driving an older model Honda civic with a tag of ZIR076. If you have seen Mr. Brown or know of his whereabouts please contact the Monroe County Sheriff's Office Communications Division at 478-994-7010. You may also contact us through Facebook, Instagram or the Monroe County Sheriff's Office App, where you may remain anonymous.

08/31/2026

🚨 TRAFFIC INCIDENT | GA 7 & HWY 36 BYPASS 🚨

At approximately 8:22 a.m. today, Lamar County E911 received a report of an overturned tractor-trailer at the intersection of GA 7 and Highway 36 Bypass. Initial reports indicated that injuries were unknown.

Lamar County Fire Rescue personnel arrived on scene to find a tractor-trailer hauling a container overturned in the roadway. The driver had self-extricated prior to our arrival and sustained only minor injuries.

At this time, there are limited details regarding the circumstances that led to the accident. The Georgia Department of Public Safety and Georgia State Patrol are investigating the incident.

We understand the significant impact this incident had on the morning commute and sincerely appreciate the patience and understanding of our community while crews worked to safely manage and clear the scene.

Fire personnel worked alongside law enforcement and Mitch’s Towing to upright the tractor-trailer, remove it from the roadway, and ensure the area was safe for motorists. The roadway was cleared at approximately 10:45 a.m.

A special thank you to all agencies and personnel who worked together to bring this incident to a safe conclusion.

Thank you, Lamar County, for giving our responders the room and time they needed to work safely. 🚒

Send a message to learn more

08/23/2026

THIS is what leadership looks like. ❤️

At Lamar County Fire Rescue, we are incredibly proud of the one who leads us.

Chief Douglas Matthews leads from the front.

He leads with his heart.
He leads with passion.
He leads with distinction.

When Chief Matthews was offered a fire-damaged mobile home to use for firefighter training, he saw something entirely different. He saw an opportunity. Instead of watching a home be destroyed, he envisioned it restored — and placed into the hands of a local family who needed a safe place to call home.

That vision has grown into something much bigger than one person or one department. It has become a community coming together — donating time, labor, resources, and love to take care of one of our own.

This is what makes Lamar County Fire Rescue different.

Leadership isn't simply a title, a badge, or a position. It's seeing a need and asking, “What can we do?” It's being willing to roll up your sleeves and work beside the people you lead. And sometimes, it's seeing value and possibility where someone else might only see something destined for destruction.

Chief, we are proud to follow your lead.

A very special thank you to Kaitlyn Ross and 11Alive/Atlanta News First, as well as Luke Haney and the Upson Beacon for helping tell this story and for playing such an important part in caring for and supporting our community. When local media uses its platform to shine a light on people helping people, that light has a way of reaching even farther.

This is community.
This is service.
This is Lamar County. ❤️🚒

Lamar County Fire Chief donates a damaged mobile home to a family in need, turning it into a new home.

08/19/2026

At approximately 3:15 p.m. today, Lamar County E911 received a call reporting a machinery fire at Ranew's Companies in Milner, Georgia. Lamar County Fire Rescue units responded and arrived to find smoke visible from the facility.

Our fire crews quickly located the source of the fire and were able to bring it under control and extinguish it, resulting in minimal damage and no reported injuries. Crews then ventilated the building and ensured conditions were safe before employees were permitted to return to gather their belongings.

We would especially like to commend the Ranew's staff for their quick evacuation and effective implementation of their emergency action plans. Their immediate response helped minimize risk to both employees and the facility and allowed our crews to safely perform fire suppression operations.

Mutual aid was requested from Pike County Fire Department, and we sincerely appreciate their response and continued partnership. The cooperation between neighboring agencies is invaluable when responding to incidents of this nature.

Lamar County Fire Rescue units cleared the scene and returned to service at approximately 5:45 p.m.

Send a message to learn more

08/12/2026

Whether you have already attended this class or going for the first time, you do not want to miss out. Please make time to go !! This class is life changing!!

07/28/2026

I couldn't be more proud of our public safety team. Their dedication, professionalism, and commitment to protecting this community are second to none.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

07/26/2026

We so greatly appreciated the opportunity to participate. Thank you for allowing us to be part of this important training.

07/25/2026

Thank you for always entertaining our training initiatives!!! The partnership is a value to our community that can’t be adequately explained with words!

07/24/2026

🚒🤝 Prepared Together. Committed Together. Stronger Together. ❤️💙

Today, Lamar County Fire Rescue was honored to stand alongside the Lamar County School System, the Lamar County Sheriff's Office, Barnesville Police Department, EMS, Air Evac Lifeteam 185 - Upson Co., GA.The Hive," and so many dedicated public safety partners during today's full-scale school safety exercise.

First and foremost, we want to extend our sincere appreciation to Dr. Jessica Watson, the Lamar County Board of Education, and the Lamar County School System for inviting us to be part of something so incredibly important. The safety of our children, teachers, and staff is a responsibility we all share, and we are grateful for the opportunity to train together.

Our commitment to this community knows no boundaries.

While we all hope these skills are never needed in a real-world emergency, we firmly believe that it is far better to have them and never use them than to need them and not be prepared. Training for the unthinkable ensures that, if the day ever comes, our community will receive the very best response possible.

A special thank you to our incredible partners at Air Evac Lifeteam 185 – "The Hive" for their continued support and participation. Your partnership and dedication to emergency preparedness are invaluable.

To our Lamar County Fire Rescue firefighters, EMS personnel, and command staff—thank you for your professionalism, teamwork, and phenomenal response throughout today's challenging scenarios. We are proud to serve alongside each of you.

To our amazing volunteer patients, who willingly spent the morning in moulage makeup and realistic scenarios to help make this training as authentic as possible—thank you. Your willingness to volunteer played a vital role in making today's exercise meaningful and effective.

And finally, thank you to the Lamar County Sheriff's Office and the Barnesville Police Department. Working together, communicating together, and learning from one another only strengthens our ability to protect the citizens we all serve. Those partnerships are something we deeply value and will continue to build upon.

Every exercise teaches us something new. Today, we learned, we grew, and we became better prepared—together.

Because when our community calls, we'll answer. Together. ❤️🚒🚑🚓