By McKenna Horsley, The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Huntington Fire Chief Jan Rader is stepping away from the fire department, but she is not stepping away from public service.
Rader will retire as chief effective Feb. 11, Mayor Steve Williams announced Friday. She will transition into a new position— director of the Mayor’s Council on Public Health and Drug Control Policy.
“We owe Chief Rader a debt of thanks for her leadership, her heart and her fortitude,” Williams said in a city news release. “Fortunately, we are not saying goodbye to her. While she may be saying farewell to the fire service, she will continue to assist our efforts in the battle against substance use disorder and the ongoing public health challenges facing our city, state and nation. We aren’t done yet.”
Rader, who was sworn in as chief in March 2017 after serving as interim since December 2016, is the first woman in West Virginia to lead as chief of a professional fire department. She has served as a Huntington firefighter for 27 years and was hired by the department in August 1994…
