Local & Community
Palm Springs Fire Department Develops Citywide Evacuation Plan
The Palm Springs Fire Department is laying the groundwork for a new citywide evacuation plan designed to prepare residents, visitors and businesses for a range of emergencies.
During a meeting this week, emergency officials discussed who would be involved in evacuation planning and emphasized the need for a collaborative effort involving multiple communities and organizations.
The Palm Springs Fire Department brought in emergency services planner Kurt Johnson, who explained why a comprehensive evacuation plan is needed for the city.
Officials say the plan will have to account for more than just Palm Springs residents. Visitors, businesses and travelers at Palm Springs International Airport could all be affected during an emergency.
"Not just the residents but the visitors, the businesses," Johnson said. "We have an international airport here, so important for us to be able to communicate with everyone who's in our city."
Wildfires and flooding are among the potential threats, but Palm Springs Fire Chief Paul Alvarado said the plan also needs to account for smaller-scale emergencies.
An aircraft incident at Palm Springs International Airport, for example, could require the evacuation of people from the terminal and coordination with local hotels to provide temporary accommodations.
Alvarado said some travelers could be left without clothing, medication or other personal belongings if an emergency occurs while they are traveling.
Palm Springs Emergency Manager Daniel DeSelms said evacuation plans will use familiar neighborhood names rather than internal emergency planning codes.
"If we're going to evacuate a neighborhood, we're going to evacuate, you know, El Dorado or Snow or Sunrise because people know their neighborhoods," DeSelms said.
Officials also discussed maintaining year-round emergency coverage and ensuring the plan accounts for both peak and off-season periods.
Community engagement will be a key part of the process. Officials say they do not want the evacuation plan to simply exist as a document on a computer without residents knowing what it means or what they should do.
The meeting marked an early step in developing the plan. Officials say additional details will be released as the city continues working with residents, businesses and other community stakeholders.
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By: NBC Palm Springs
August 27, 2026
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