I received this notice and thought I should pass along to you. Make sure you check your lawn equipment.

“STIHL Recalls Yard Power Products Due to Burn and Fire Hazards

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Gas powered STIHL trimmers, brushcutters, KombiMotors, hedge trimmers, edgers, clearing saws, pole pruners and backpack blowers that utilize a toolless fuel cap.

Units: About 2.3 million

Manufacturer: STIHL Inc. of Virginia Beach, Va.

Hazard: The level of ethanol and other fuel additives can distort the toolless fuel cap, allowing fuel to spill, posing a fire and burn hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: STIHL has received 81 reports of difficulty installing and/or removing the fuel caps and fuel spillage. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The following yard power tools and model numbers are included in this recall:

Blower, backpack – Model BR 500, BR 550, BR 600 and BR 600 Magnum

Hedge Trimmer, extended reach – Model HL 90K, HL 100 and HL 100K

Pole Pruner – Model HT 56 C-E, HT 100, HT 101, HT 130 and HT 131

Edger – Model FC 56 C-E, FC 70 C-E, FC 90, FC 95, FC 100 and FC 110

Trimmer/Brushcutter – Model FS40 C-E, FS 56 RC-E, FS 70 RC-E, FS 90, FS 90R, FS 100 RX, FS 110, FS 110R, FS110 RX, FS 130, and FS 130 R

Go to your nearest dealer to find out what you should do.”

Enough about that. I want to see if I can get some interest in the community regarding wellness. I want to see if anyone is interested in meeting once a week at a designated spot in the parish to walk, run, do a mini boot camp and train with a few firefighters. Call me or email me so I can get a feel for the interest.

I am thinking we could meet around 7 p.m. once per week, or we could meet earlier on a weekend.

I am hoping to get enough people so that we can do a variety of things. Please give me a call, and let me know.

Remember it is starting to get hot outside. Make sure you hydrate yourself and your children.

Have a safe and fun summer.

 Michael Heath is president of the St. John Professional Firefighters Association.