photo of our frat house
 

This is a bad picture of our house. This is back in 1999 right after we were expelled from campus. This house is somewhat different now and looks nicer. While my chapter was still active we had a fire truck outside in front of the flag pole. Our house is DIRECTLY across from The football stadium.

http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/ufarch/pikappaalpha.htm

What is it with PKA's and the fire trucks??

(If it's a secret, don't worry about it!)

Firetrucks
 

It's not a secret. Maybe as much as 100 years ago, the chapter at Southwestern-at-Memphis (now Rhodes College) got their hands on a firetruck (fire wagon?) and rode it wround to the point that they became identified with it. It caught on slowly with other chapters. After WWII it became huge. In Oklahoma in the 1950s, the various chapters would gather at their District meetings and actually have firetruck races. In the modern era, insurance concerns have tended to dampen the activities, but there still a lot of Pike chapters that have firetrucks, and many chapters ride city firetrucks in their Homecoming parades. Lots of chapters have Dalmations as mascots. At my school, all Pike imtramural teams have always been known as "The Firemen", and we have an annual Firemen's Ball.