Former Marine named Palm Springs emergency management coordinator

A former U.S. Marine will serve as the new emergency management coordinator for the city of Palm Springs, a city official announced Thursday,

Danny DeSelms, former emergency management and training coordinator for Marine Aircraft Group 13 at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, will take his new position leading emergency management and disaster preparedness for Palm Springs on Aug. 5, City Manager David Ready said.

DeSelms has served in his position at MCAS Yuma for the past year, and has provided emergency management expertise at bases in North Carolina; Washington, DC; Okinawa,Japan; and at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, according to Ready.

“Emergency management and preparedness is a top priority for the Palm Springs Fire Department,” said Palm Springs Fire Chief Kevin Nalder said. “We are looking forward to working with Danny and to the wealth of experience he will bring to our organization.”

While in the Marine Corps, DeSelms graduated from the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense School at Ft. McClellan, Alabama, and served as part of a task force that investigated the 2001 anthrax attacks, Ready said. He also was on a tsunami relief task force in Thailand after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.

DeSelms earned a bachelor’s degree in emergency and disaster management from American Military University in 2015

“Danny DeSelms has an exceptional background coordinating emergency management and disaster preparedness for the United States Marines,” Ready said. “His experience managing and responding to large scale emergencies along with his expertise in planning and training will be a significant asset to our city and we are pleased to welcome him to the executive management team.”