FDNY Station Was Shut Down To Wash Ringling Bros. Elephant

The Ringling Bros. elephants (which Peta just caught on film being beaten by employees) are at the center of another controversy. Reportedly a Brooklyn Fire Dept. (Engine 245) had to close its firehouse for 30 minutes under city orders to bathe Suzie the elephant. The department says they wanted no part in the press event, saying, "What they did compromised that community; fortunately no one was hurt. Whoever at city hall decided to do this doesn't understand public safety and doesn't understand the role that firefighters play in public safety."

City Hall claims they were not ordered to close the station down, but merely to spray the animal as it walked by. NYMag has a statement from the firefighters union, saying, "Members of Engine 245 were originally asked to participate in this publicity stunt for Ringling Brothers Circus but declined. The request then rose up the chain of command to the Chief of Department, who also reportedly said no. Firefighters were told that officials at New York City Hall stepped in to order the fire company closed and ordered all on duty FDNY firefighters in the company to participate. The fire company was shut down and taken out of service for approximately 30 minutes while providing the pachyderm bath for Suzie the Circus Elephant."

With the way their track record is looking this year, we might as well just blame Ringling Bros. for the 9/11-Tsunami ad at this point.

UPDATE: Peta has given New York's Engine 245 an award for their efforts. Their full statement can be read below.

PETA has given its Compassionate Fire Department Award to New York's Engine 245 for striving to maintain the highest standards of professionalism. Despite repeated refusals to participate in a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus elephant-washing publicity stunt, the engine company's on-duty firefighters were ordered by city officials to give a bath to Suzie, one of the elephants used by the circus. The firehouse was taken out of service and was unavailable to respond to emergencies for at least half an hour. "It compromised public safety and firefighters' safety for public relations," Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York President Steve Cassidy told news sources.
Public pachyderm baths can't wash away Ringling's deplorable treatment of elephants. PETA's recent undercover investigation documented that Ringling elephant handlers hit elephants with bullhooks over and over on their heads, trunks, ears, and other sensitive body parts right before the animals walked on stage. Ringling owner Kennth Feld recently gave testimony to answer charges that the circus's elephant-handling practices violate the federal Endangered Species Act; in that testimony, he admitted that elephants are routinely hit with bullhooks.

"Engine 245 is to be commended for resisting an order that put New Yorkers' safety at risk so that a for-profit, privately owned business could garner free publicity," says PETA Director Debbie Leahy. "Residents should be outraged that city officials apparently care more about coddling cruel corporations such as Ringling than they do about protecting the taxpaying citizens of New York. Ringling makes money by beating animals and forcing them to perform, so it can afford to buy its own advertising like any other business."

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By Jen Carlson in News on September 4, 2009 10:55 AM

Comments [rss]

NannyState

If there was a fire, they could have just taken Suzie with them and let her stamp it out, Bangalore-style.

5borough

The door was probably open during the wash, and the firemen awake. That makes them more ready to fight a fire than usual. Not that they should be out looking for fires, but Cassidy looks like a baby whining about this.

felixthecat2

No surprise, Bloomberg brought the circus to Coney Isand and had Taconic provided them rent free use of the spot. Shame on Bloomberg. This man is vile.

Dead Himmler

What the hell is wrong with the circus?? If it wasn't for the circus these animals would just be doing nothing in the wild. Serving no purpose just eating and shitting. Didn't you ever go as a child?

Tpooh2

You know what, with those vidoes that was released from PETA the other week, Suzie deserves some R&R.

And frankly, if my boss came in right now and said, "Uh, girls...put down the pens...we have to go scrub an elephant outside." I would be very happy to oblige!

grandzu

The fact that this outrage was "leaked" by the fire dept. union makes the whole thing sketchy.

maevemealone

I wonder if Suzie would enjoy swimming in the ocean? How fun would that be to see? Either way, Suzie deserved to get a nice wash down and scrub behind the ears. She should stop by the firehouse everyday.

rhonda718

Public safety compromised? Really?

Because otherwise the firefighters would have been sitting in their firetrucks waiting to turn the keys in the ignition??

Seems to me like the firefighters "shut the station down" for no good reason, when they could have left it open and just stopped bathing the elephant if a call came in. I'm not saying that the city should have the right to make firemen do this; but I'm AM saying it sounds like the FDNY is the one who overreacted and compromised public safety.

Papercutninja

who the fuck made a big deal out of this? What, do they think that if a fire call came through teh guys would say "nope, not going to that 3 alarm fire, we gotta finish scrubbing the taint of an elephant."

It was a publicity thing, and no one was in danger.

silver

Bloomberg cronyism at its finest.

Mookie Wilson

I think every firehouse should get their own elephant and dress them up like a firefighter. We would be the coolest city in the world.

longacre

Why not replace firetrucks with elephants?

MrManhattan

That's a great idea, not only do they come with their own hoses as original equipment, when too many suburban cars are blocking the street, they can walk right over them and get to the fire quicker.

Clarice City

They could be like a mascot and then when there's a fire they can spray the water out of their noses and everyone would clap and cheer.

KiljoyWasHere

The tsunami linking was unnecessary.

jchez

I agree with militza. That sounds like a fun and cool thing to do during a break.

militza

as long as no fires broke out and Suzie was treated to a nice, little scrubdown I think it's just fine.

also, I'm sure the firefighters got a kick out of it. how many can say they gave an elephant a cool, soothing spritz?