Emergency Medical Services

Unalaska's community health center is preparing to start construction on an expansion that could help secure emergency care funding.

Two women were rescued from a beach in Volcano Bay near Unalaska Tuesday morning. They had capsized their inflatable skiff while heading to shore after disembarking from a larger 22-foot sea dory, according to U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Commander Eddie Kalankiewicz.

The collapse of the Bering Sea crab fisheries has put St. Paul Island at risk of losing some of its essential services.The city’s economy is about 90% dependent on the harvest of snow crab, which closed for the first time in the fishery’s history in October. Without Bering Sea snow crab or Bristol Bay red king crab — which has been closed since 2021 — the City of St. Paul is estimating a roughly $2.7 million hit.In light of those anticipated losses, St. Paul’s city government declared a cultural, economic and social emergency in late October, following the fishery closures, and subsequently implemented budgetary cuts, hiring freezes and other measures.Now, the Pribilof Island community faces the loss of its emergency medical services.

Unalaska's Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services has been selected for two prestigious awards by the Governor's Alaska Council on Emergency…