The National Transportation Safety Board began the first day of a two-day field hearing Tuesday in East Palestine as the federal agency takes testimony on what led up to the February 3rd Norfolk Southern train derailment, fire, and chemical spill in that community.
 
Characterized as a "fact-finding proceeding", the NTSB also plans to use information gathered during testimony to make
recommendations to improve transportation safety.
 
The hearing began with NTSB Investigator-in-Charge, Ruben Payan, who talked about the days leading up to the derailment.
 
Payan noted that security cameras along the train's route didn't show any indication of problems until it reached Salem when flames could be seen under one of the cars.
 
Subsequent videos from cameras in Columbiana, New Waterford, and East Palestine showed increasing flame and sparks beneath a car as it reached its eventual derailment site in East Palestine.
 
Payan also noted the previously reported evidence that so-called hot box detectors didn't report rising temperatures of a wheel bearing on one of the cars until the train neared East Palestine. When the temperature reached the point required to send a critical alarm, the train was already in the village, moments before the train left the tracks.
 
The first panel discussion that got underway shortly before 10 a.m. is focusing on the communication about the derailment to first responders that night and their response to the incident.
 
East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabick told investigators that he saw himself as a coordinator of the team of first responders that were called out after learning about the derailment. Drabick called the decision to initiate a controlled burn of the leaking tankers "the only option" in light of the risk of a possible explosion.
 
"Hot and angry", is how East Palestine Police Chief Dan Hauter described the burning rail cars when asked about his first impressions of the incident. Hauter said at the time he had no idea that cars were carrying toxic materials.
 
As far as prior training to prepare for the derailment, in spite of extensive police experience, Hauter said he used "common sense" in this case.
 
An investigator questioned Scott Deutsch, Regional Hazardous Materials Manager for Norfolk Southern about the decision to have firefighters withdraw while they were battling flames.
 
Deutsch said he saw firefighters spraying water down on the cars from aerial trucks and became concerned that the cases would heat up and injure them.
An investigator questioned Deutsch about the protocol for notifying first responders when there are hazardous materials on a derailed train, noting that the Ask Rail app with such information is not always available to firefighters in an area with poor cell reception and that train crews are not instructed to approach first responders with that critical information.
 
Thursday's hearing is scheduled to wrap up at 7 p.m. and at 6 p.m. on Friday.