"It's been a long five days," said East Palestine mayor Trent Conaway with a sigh. For many folks in his village, life is being marked in two halves.
Before the train disaster and after.

"I have to make them go home at this point to make sure they get enough rest," said fire chief Keith Drabeck of his tired yet tireless crews. As the town of 4,700 pulls itself back together, Drabeck and his crews are burning the candle at both ends.

"We are going through a very arduous process of going through what equipment we have right now that we can still use," said Drabeck.

Much of it got contaminated in a fog of toxic, noxious chemicals.
A fire department from South Carolina is lending gear, while chief Drabeck shops around for replacements.

"This is the second part," said Conaway, who is also operating in post-disaster mode. No sooner did he and other officials lift the evacuation order Wednesday night than trains once again scuttled through town.

"I was not very happy with that," he said with a dry grin. "It made the village look bad, it made me look bad."

But he promises whatever the coming days and weeks may bring, Norfolk Southern Railway will make good.

"We're going to hold their feet to the fire," Conaway said. "I'm not going to be the country bumpkin that gets talked over by a big corporation."