Tag: Huntington Fire Department

West Virginia's First Female Fire Chief Wins National Award

The chief of the Huntington, West Virginia, Fire Department has been named as the American Legion’s national firefighter of the year.

Chief Jan K. Rader received the award at the American Legion’s 101st National Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Wednesday night.

Rader is the state’s first female fire chief after having been a firefighter for nearly 25 years.

The American Legion says it gives the annual award to a firefighter who exceeds the requirements of their position and shows a pattern of community service. The group noted Rader’s work on opioid addiction in Huntington as reason why she won.

Rader says she’s humbled by the award.
 

Officials: Huntington Fire Retirees Have Been Overpaid

A Huntington audit has uncovered the city’s fire pension board failed to properly calculate retirees’ pensions, resulting in overpayments for over 25 years.

City Manager Cathy Burns says the city overpaid about 50 fire department retirees. Burns says miscalculations started in 1990 when the city moved to a “confusing” state formula.

Burns says an auditor randomly selected three 2015 retirees and found they’ve been overpaid $300 to 1,000 a month.

Huntington announced a nearly $5 million deficit in January due to multiple factors including increases in the city’s fire and police pension contributions.

Officials say the Municipal Pensions Oversight Board implemented the correct formula; however the incorrect one is being used on the identified accounts.

Burns says a bill awaiting the governor’s signature will help rectify errors.

Huntington Hires Female Fire Chief

Officials in Huntington say the city has hired what is believed to be the first female fire chief in West Virginia.

The City Council approved Jan Rader’s appointment Monday. She will earn nearly $77,000.

Rader is a 22-year veteran of the department. She was promoted to deputy fire chief in 2015 and became interim fire chief in December.

Huntington Mayor Steve Williams calls her appointment historic.

Rader says she’s “overwhelmed and humbled” by the support she’s received.

Huntington Fire Department Carrying Opiate Reversal Drug

  The city of Huntington says medication that can reverse the effect of opiates in case of an overdose is now stocked on all of the city fire department emergency response vehicles.

The Mayor’s Office of Drug Control Policy said in a news release that all firefighters have completed training and educational sessions on the medication, naloxone, and how to administer it. The office said five lives have been saved with the medication since the Cabell-Huntington Health Department received a supply of naloxone in February.

The Health Department’s physician director, Dr. Michael Kilkenny, says one of the community’s chief concerns is the increasing number of overdose deaths from opioid-based prescription drugs and heroin.

The Huntington Police Department will receive naloxone certification soon. The Health Department offers free naloxone certification to the public.

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