Go figure!!!!!

Suzie the circus elephant took a bath - and the FDNY got all wet.

City Hall turned an engine company into a bunch of clowns by forcing them to wash an elephant for a Ringling Brothers photo-op, the firefighters union charged Thursday.

The "public relations stunt" jeopardized the safety of Coney Island residents because Engine Co. 245 was out of service for a half-hour Wednesday, Uniformed Firefighters Association President Steve Cassidy said.

"It's so ridiculous for them to put a company out of service to wash an elephant," Cassidy said. "There is no justifiable reason for doing it."

FDNY spokesman Frank Gribbon agreed the company "should not have been out of service."

But he noted there were no emergency calls while the Bravest were scrubbing Suzie and said a ladder company took over for the engine company.

Cassidy claimed that FDNY Chief of Department Salvatore Cassano initially shot down a request to have the company participate in the Ringing Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus event.

"After everybody in the Fire Department said no, the Bloomberg administration ordered them to do it," he said.

A spokesman for Mayor Bloomberg referred a request for comment to the FDNY.

Feld Entertainment, which owns the circus, insisted it never contacted the FDNY or City Hall but coordinated the event with Community Affairs at the NYPD's 60th Precinct.

"We have had a great relationship with the Police and Fire Department on Coney Island this summer," Feld spokesman Steve Yaros said.

"To us, it was just a given that they would participate."

A police source said the NYPD's involvement was limited to providing "traffic control."

The FDNY said the original agreement called for firefighters to simply spray down Suzie when she was paraded in front of the firehouse - not for firefighters to travel a half-mile to Nathan's to lather up the animal.

Whatever the arrangement, Cassidy said, Engine Co. 245 should not have been used to pamper a pachyderm to promote the 'Boom a Ring' circus that has been drawing big crowds in Coney Island this summer.

It's one of the busiest emergency response companies in the city, and services a community with several public housing complexes, a hospital and 13 schools.

"The public - the taxpayers - were not well-served," he said.

Local residents agreed.

"It doesn't seem like the best use of the city's money period," said Jackie Kallelis, 56.

"Why is the FDNY cleaning elephants?" said Juan Evans, 42. "Whoever told them to do that is just being unfair....That's obviously not safe."

"What the hell is going one here!!!!! To quote Mel Brooks, "Sire, Sire, the peasants are revolting". LOL