Unalaska, AK – A dispute between city officials and some Public Safety Department volunteers that erupted at last Saturday's special Unalaska City Council meeting is likely to continue at the council's regularly scheduled meeting tonight.

At issue is a memo sent by city administrators to the Department of Public Safety last week instructing fire and EMS volunteers, some of whom are recreational divers, not to fill up their personal air tanks at city-operated facilities. The decision rankled some of the divers, particularly volunteer fire Capt. Roger Defendall. He said he sees the city's memo as the first step toward limiting riskier elements of the training that the department provides its fire and EMS crews, something he said is crucial in attracting new volunteers.

"When the little training things start getting pulled out, then folks won't participate anymore," he said. "And as a stand-alone outfit, we've got to have those volunteers."

City Manager Chris Hladick said that the memo was intended only to speak to the matter of the air tanks, not the department's training, and that the city had to issue the order for insurance liability reasons.

Fire Chief Sidney Johnson said he's talked with parties on both sides of the dispute and is working towards a resolution.

"I've met with the [city] administration, I've met with Capt. Defendall, and any of the volunteers who want to talk with me, my door is always open," he said.

Johnson said the air tank issue will be ironed out in the suite of policy changes underway at the fire department. Last month he completed a far-ranging assessment of the state of the department, which he was scheduled to bring to council members at tonight's meeting. That's being postponed until next month, however, when the full council will be present.

City council meets at its City Hall chambers at 7 p.m. this evening.