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It's not a secret.
Around the turn of the century, Theta chapter members at (now Rhodes College) were volunteer firemen and the chapter actually has its own truck. Several other Pike chapters copied the theme, but after World War II the thing really took off. At some time in the 1950s more than half of the Pike chapters had their own fire trucks. In Oklahoma, chapters met for their Regional Conference and had firetruck races!
Insurance concerns have eliminated many of the old trucks (we have a garnet & gold 1938 Chevvy at Florida State but the undergrads aren't allowed to operate it). However, you still see chapters have their annual group photo taken on or around a firetruck.
It's an old tradition and just for fun.
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