Florida’s state parks now have at least one strike team trailer across all five regional districts
TALLAHASSEE, FL, UNITED STATES, June 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — With Monday, June 1, marking the official start of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, the Florida State Parks Foundation today furthered its commitment to storm preparation and recovery in state parks by purchasing a new strike team trailer to be stationed in Central Florida.
Strike team trailers serve as a mobile base of operations that allow the Florida Park Service’s skilled recovery teams to quickly and efficiently respond to hurricanes, severe weather events and natural disasters.
This newest trailer is the sixth provided by the Foundation, or its community partners, since 2023. Once the trailer is in place, the Florida Park Service will have at least one strike team trailer in each of its five regional districts.
The trailer was funded through a $75,000 allocation from the Florida State Parks Foundation’s Disaster Relief Fund, which was created in response to Category 4 Hurricane Ian in 2022.
“The Foundation is committed to supporting our award-winning state parks before, during and after every major storm,” said Julia Gill Woodward, CEO of the Florida State Parks Foundation. “The Florida Park Service’s strike teams are the very best at what they do, and we are honored to provide them with tools and resources that make a real difference to storm recovery efforts.”
Florida State Parks strike teams are composed of park managers, rangers, specialists and volunteers who travel from their home parks — often for days or weeks at a time — to assist parks in need following a storm or natural disaster. Strike teams may remove downed trees and heavy debris, clear roads and offer support for park staff. They also often assist partner agencies in recovery efforts.
Each strike trailer has ample storage for utility vehicles, heavy equipment and portable power generators. In many cases, trailers provided shaded spaces where strike team members may cool off and rest a moment from their work in the Florida sun.
“These trailers have been a game-changer for our strike teams,” said Florida State Parks Director Chuck Hatcher. “Having a trailer in all of our districts means that we will have a strike team nearby and ready to respond to major storms in every corner of the state. This will allow us to get our teams on-site and safely reopen any affected parks as quickly as possible.”
The Foundation previously partnered with Duke Energy Florida and the Florida Power & Light Company to provide strike team trailers in 2023 and 2024, with a total combined investment of nearly $350,000. In 2022, the Foundation distributed $50,000 to directly support Florida State Parks staff and volunteers who experienced extensive hardships from Category 4 Hurricane Ian.
The Foundation’s Disaster Relief Fund is dedicated to storm and natural disaster relief. Anyone who wishes to contribute to these efforts may do so online.
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The Florida State Parks Foundation, founded in 1993 as Friends of Florida State Parks and renamed in 2018, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation whose mission is to support and help sustain the Florida Park Service, its award-winning parks and trails, local Friends groups and more than 20,000 park volunteers.
It does this through programs that preserve and protect state parks, educate visitors about the value of state parks, encourage community engagement and active use of state parks, and advocacy. All projects are completed by the Florida State Parks Foundation Services LLC, which is a limited liability company affiliate of the Foundation. The volunteer Board of Directors represents private and public sectors as well as local and statewide interests.
Tim Linafelt
Florida State Parks Foundation
+1 8505598914
email us here
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