JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Firefighters rushed thousands of gallons of water to the Westside at midday Wednesday after getting a 911 call from one of the trains bringing the circus to town.
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus employee who called claimed that the circus animals were on the parked train and needed water.
It turned out that wasn't the case.
LISTEN: 911 call from circus
When firefighters arrived to help with a tanker truck carrying 25,000 gallons of water, they found only a passenger train full of performers.
“We really don’t know (why someone called 911),” circus spokesman Stephen Payne said. “It was not an emergency. The animals were already at the (Veterans Memorial) Arena, so we are not entirely sure why someone thought it was an emergency and thought they needed to call 911. I think what we have here is a miscommunication.”
Payne said the train is parked at Beaver Street and McDuff Avenue, where the performers and crew live while the circus is in town. They'll be performing in shows in Jacksonville from Thursday through Sunday.
Payne said the train is like a small city and is nearly self-sufficient, with its own generator and supplies, but it doesn't carry its own water. The train hooks up to city water when it's in town, but the connection for the water was blocked temporarily by another train Wednesday, prompting an employee to call 911.
Circus employee: Our train, the circus train is parked somewhere in Jacksonville, and I was looking for bulk water and was wondering if this is something you can help me with? … We are parked at a train station and we need to give potable water to the animals.
Dispatcher: Where are they located at?
Circus employee: We are located at 15 and McDuff South in Jacksonville
Dispatcher: Hold on one second. I don't think we do that, but let me ask.
Because the call indicated that circus animals were in trouble, the department responded to the unusual request.
But there were no animals on the train and only one car was without water. No one was in danger.
Firefighters filled up one of the circus water tanks with about 800 gallons of water.
“We will be talking with the fire department to thank them for their assistance,” Payne said.
Payne said it was a mistake that should never have happened. He said Ringling Bros. will be investigating to see who made the call and why.
A spokesman for the fire department said its has had false alarms before, and this incident was no different. He said there was no malice intended by the call, and the department is ready to move on from the incident.