Union says NYC firefighters had to shut firehouse to bathe a circus elephant on city orders

Union says firefighters forced to bathe elephant

NEW YORK — A fire union says a Brooklyn engine company had to close its firehouse for 30 minutes to go bathe a circus elephant, on city orders. The Uniformed Firefighters Association said Engine 245 did not want to partake in the photo opportunity with Suzie, a circus elephant for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey.

But the union said city officials ordered the engine company to participate. The firehouse shut down for 30 minutes on Wednesday while four firefighters and an officer went to scrub Suzie at the press event.

Ringling Bros. recently opened a circus show in Coney Island.

The Fire Department said firefighters were only supposed to spray the animal when it walked by the firehouse, and were not ordered to close down. The department said closing the firehouse was a mistake.