215. Heroin(E) Star and Activist | Jan Rader

Jan Rader is a star of the Netflix special Heroin(e) and hero in West Virginia in the drug epidemic.

Native of Ironton, Ohio, Jan Rader joined the Huntington Fire Department in August of 1994. Ms. Rader is the first woman to reach the rank of Chief for a career department in the State of West Virginia. She holds a Regents Bachelor of Arts degree from Marshall University and an Associates Degree of Science in Nursing from Ohio University. Jan holds many fire service certifications and is also a Fire and EMS Instructor in the State of West Virginia. Chief Rader came to national prominence after the release of the short documentary “Heroin(e)” by Netflix in September of 2017. Then in April of 2018, she was chosen as one of Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. She retired from the City of Huntington Fire Department in February of 2022 and currently serves as the Director of the Mayor’s Council of Public Health & Drug Control Policy. The purpose of this council is to address substance use disorder in Huntington and the surrounding communities and to create a holistic approach involving prevention, treatment, recovery, and law enforcement.