CINCINNATI —

Video released Thursday by the National Transportation Safety Board shows the intense flames firefighters faced when 38 rail cars went off a track in East Palestine, a village in northeast Ohio.

"There was incredibly hot, active fire for several hours," said hazardous materials expert Drew McCarty.

Four months after February's derailment, NTSB officials are conducting what they're calling a rare investigative field hearing.

Sworn witnesses are testifying before the public. They're describing how the derailment happened and critical takeaways from the incident.

"Lots of lessons learned," Keith Drabick said.

Drabick is the chief of East Palestine's mostly volunteer fire department. He remains concerned about conditions his fellow firefighters encountered in the wake of the train wreck — and a controlled burn that sent hazardous chemicals high into the sky.

"I'm concerned about not only my responders but everybody around for long-term health concerns," he said. "It's got to weigh in the back of your head for everybody."

To better prepare for another possible hazmat incident, Drabick said training opportunities need to be expanded.

"Standards need to change in the country. Standards need to change in our village," Drabick said.

In Cincinnati, training is a priority because the city is home to huge rail yards.

"There are a lot of people working behind the scenes, keeping our area prepared for any type of emergency that may occur," said Doug Witsken.

Witsken coordinates emergency planning for Hamilton County's Emergency Management Agency. He's among those eager to learn more from the hearing in East Palestine.

" I expect in coming years we will get a lot more detailed information about the incident, about how it was managed, lessons learned," Witsken said.

The focus of day one of the hearing in East Palestine was on the way first responders handled the derailment and how the decision to do a controlled burn was made.

The second day of the hearing on Friday will center around the Norfolk Southern rail cars that crashed and the hazardous materials they carried.

Residents of the small Ohio village of East Palestine gathered in a high school auditorium on Wednesday night to speak directly to community leaders and lawmakers about the train derailment disaster which sparked an evacuation of residents within a one-mile radius.

The train's operator, Norfolk Southern, said representatives for the company would not attend.

In a statement released to the media the company said it had become "increasingly concerned about the growing physical threat to our employees and members of the community around this event stemming from the increasing likelihood of the participation of outside parties."

The moderator of the meeting told the crowd that Norfolk Southern was invited multiple times but they did not accept.

"I know you're frustrated!" He responded, as people shouted from the crowd.

Congressman Bill Johnson, who represents the area, told the crowd to come down to him after the meeting and give him the questions and he will make sure they are answered by Norfolk Southern. The audience continued yelling, asking "why are we getting sick" if there is nothing in the air. The crowd kept pressing, asking why animals are dying.

Johnson said, "I'm not a doctor and I'm not a chemist."

"If you've got ailments and conditions that you did not have before February 3rd, go to your doctor, get that documented, keep that health record," and Johnson promised to "elevate that issue" and get an answer.

Residents complained of headaches and not knowing the exact cause because of a lack of testing for chemical toxicity that "may be causing these symptoms," one resident said at the meeting.

"Who determined the one-mile radius evacuation zone?" one resident shouted out from the audience.

One of the speakers addressing the audience said that the radius was determined by the Department of Transportation and other subject matter experts for an evacuation zone, and claimed the same is used across the country.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updated its website Wednesday and said on Feb. 14 the agency completed screenings for 459 homes, and had 28 screenings scheduled for Wednesday.

The EPA said the total drinking water wells that were sampled as of Feb. 15 was 21. Air monitoring by the EPA in ongoing according to the agency.

The EPA and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine have said that there is no evidence of contaminants associated with the derailment to the water supply, but the EPA said on Feb. 15 that Norfolk Southern is delivering bottled water to East Palestine and will help distribute it.

Local police were seen in front of the community members seated in bleachers as the energy in the room became increasingly tense.

On Feb. 10 the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency released information on water quality sampling for surface water and said it showed "very low levels of two contaminants, butyl acylate and ethyl hexyl acrylate" in an area called Leslie Run, and said it would dissipate quickly.

The state agency said it detected no butyl acrylate in an area called North Fork Little Beaver Creek or in another location called Little Beaver Creek. The agency said it detected lower levels of hexyl acrylate in North Fork Little Beaver Creek, about a 20 minute drive southwest of the City of East Palestine.

The agency said it did not detect vinyl chloride in any of the waterways it tested.

Alan Shaw, president and CEO of Norfolk Southern, visited East Palestine, Ohio, where he met with numerous people, including local officials, according to a press release from the rail company.

“I returned to East Palestine today to meet with local leaders, first responders, and a group of Norfolk Southern employees who live in the area," he said. "I started the morning walking the derailment site to see our clean-up progress first-hand. We are working closely with Ohio environmental and health agencies on the long-term plan to protect the environment and the community. We are going to do the work thoroughly, completely, and safely."

The visit comes after the company skipped a town hall meeting held at East Palestine High School on Wednesday night, citing safety concerns after a "growing physical threat" to employees.

After not showing, Norfolk Southern wrote a letter to the city expressing its continued support throughout the situation.

“I hear you. We hear you,” Shaw wrote in reference to the community’s worries about their health. “My simple answer is that we are here and will stay here as long as it takes to ensure your safety and to help East Palestine recover and thrive."

During Saturday's visit to East Palestine, Shaw said he met with Mayor Trent Conaway, Congressman Bill Johnson, Fire Chief Keith Drabick and first responders.

“They [local leaders and officials] are frustrated by the amount of misinformation circulating about their community and are eager to show that the air and water are safe," he said. "In every conversation today, I shared how deeply sorry I am this happened to their home. We are going to do the right things to help East Palestine recover and thrive again."

Both state and federal officials said they are holding the company accountable for the derailment that forced the town to evacuate for several days after several dangerous chemicals were released into the air.

Although government air quality monitors have said the air is safe, there has been concern among the public about long-term health consequences after the derailment.

This article was written by Claire Geary for WEWS.

HARRISBURG, Pa. —

Norfolk Southern has pledged several million dollars to cover the cost of the response and recovery in Pennsylvania after last month's derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals just across the border in Ohio, Gov. Josh Shapiro said Monday.

Video above: Toxic waste from East Palestine train derailment being shipped out

Shapiro's office said he met with Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw on Thursday and secured an initial commitment for financial aid as the cleanup from the Feb. 3 derailment continues.

Norfolk Southern has made similar pledges to Ohio, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered the company to cover the costs of cleanup from the derailment that toppled 38 rail cars in East Palestine, Ohio.

No one was hurt, but concerns that the chemicals could explode led state and local officials to approve releasing and burning toxic vinyl chloride from five tanker cars and to evacuate half of East Palestine and the surrounding area near the Pennsylvania border. Shapiro said Norfolk Southern will pay $5 million to reimburse fire departments for equipment that was contaminated or damaged and $1 million to Beaver and Lawrence counties to help business owners and residents whose livelihoods were damaged.

Another nearly $1.4 million will go to state agencies that responded, including for setting up a health clinic for residents, Shapiro said.

Shapiro's office said he will push Norfolk Southern to cover any additional costs that accumulate.

Video below: Pennsylvania Senate committee to subpoena Norfolk Southern CEO

In Ohio, Norfolk Southern previously announced more than $1 million to replace fire equipment used in the response to the fiery wreck, plus $1 million for East Palestine and more than $1.2 million for evacuation costs for nearly 900 families and businesses.

The company has said it is "committed to coordinating the cleanup project and paying for its associated costs," and wants to ensure that East Palestine's residents and natural environment recover.

Federal and state officials have repeatedly said it's safe for evacuated residents to return to the area and that air testing in the town and inside hundreds of homes hasn't detected any concerning levels of contaminants. However, some residents say they're still suffering from illnesses nearly a month later.

Norfolk Southern also announced on Monday a six-point safety plan that it says will immediately enhance the safety of its operations.

Video below: Transportation Secretary Buttigieg makes visit to East Palestine train derailment site