Firefighters struggled to identify the toxic freight in fiery Ohio train derailment, chiefs say

By JOSH FUNK
AP Business Writer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Officials say firefighters who responded to February’s fiery train derailment in Ohio struggled with communications and were unable to quickly identify the hazardous chemicals the train was hauling. The National Transportation Safety Board is holding a rare field hearing in East Palestine on the Norfolk Southern derailment. The fire chiefs whose departments were first on scene said Thursday that firefighters need more hazardous materials training. The hearing is focused on the emergency response and officials’ crucial decision to release toxic vinyl chloride from five tank cars and burn it to keep them from exploding. It sent a towering plume of black smoke over the town near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border and prompted thousands of people to evacuate their homes.