If you happen to be walking the Vayhinger Loop at the right time, you may get to witness the “Broho fire truck” cruising by.
Nathaniel Berry, a sophomore politics and public service major and resident of the Brotherhood, is the owner of the famous fire truck.
Berry found the vehicle listed on Facebook Marketplace for $4,000. Instead of paying in traditional cash, he exchanged a 1991 Corvette for the truck, a flat-screen TV and an additional $800, Berry said.
Berry had several motivations for purchasing the fire truck, he said.
“I was actually looking at the fire truck as more of a long-term investment because it’s worth far more than $4,000,” Berry said. “I also figured it was something I would enjoy while I waited to liquidate that asset. Once I find the right person, it will sell for the right price, but in the meantime, I can enjoy it on campus.”
When the truck is not parked in the RV lot, Berry takes it for drives around the Loop. While it is widely known as the “Broho fire truck,” Berry said students from all across campus get opportunities to go for a ride.
Olivia Irwin, a sophomore who used to live in Swallow Robin when they were Broho’s sister floor, is a good friend of Berry and loves the experience of riding in the fire truck, she said.
The back of the truck has benches to carry several passengers, allowing around ten people to sit comfortably, Irwin said.
“It was very community-building. I invited girls from my townhouse, and he invited some friends, and it was a great way to meet new people,” Irwin said.
According to Irwin, Berry and others, including herself, have made trips that venture off campus to Taco Bell in addition to the drives around the Loop.
Typically, to drive a vehicle as large as the fire truck on roads, the driver would need a special Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), Berry said. However, Berry was able to register the truck as an antique vehicle, allowing him to legally drive it as he pleases.
Berry said the fire truck has fully functioning features such as its lights, sirens and pump. These cannot be used on the roads as they would be classified as impersonating a first responder, which is an illegal act.
Some of the truck’s other functioning features have been used for students’ enjoyment on campus.
Broho resident Ethan Schmidt used the truck’s public address (PA) system to read aloud an artificially generated version of Jonathan Edwards' 1741 sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” to the residents of Wengatz Hall during Jericho Week, a tradition between Wengatz Hall and Samuel Morris Hall, Schmidt said.
“It was pretty awesome. Jonathan Edwards was probably rolling in his grave,” Schmidt joked.
In addition to Taylor students, nearby residents have also gotten to enjoy the fire truck, Berry said. A young boy who was being driven by his grandmother saw the truck as they were passing by one day and wanted to get a closer look.
While they were driving past, Berry was popping the balloons that someone had filled the truck’s interior with as a prank. When the woman and her grandson pulled over, Berry said he got to showcase the truck to the eager young boy.
Berry was able to take pictures of the boy and the truck, providing him with a fun and memorable experience.
The fire truck is not the only unique vehicle Berry found on Facebook Marketplace. He also owns an old church van, with lettering reading “First Presbyterian Church” on its side.
The van acted as a sort of party bus when Berry first got it, in similar fashion to the current state of the fire truck. Over time, Berry modified it to be used as a fully functioning camper van, he said.
“(Owning) the van was definitely a dream for me,” Berry said. “Van camping felt like a great way to establish independence as an adult while also enabling myself to have the agency to travel and explore the country.”
Berry has taken the van on several trips to various areas of the United States. One such trip occurred over J-term, when Berry travelled to Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Phoenix and back to Taylor University.
The van allows Berry to explore his passions of travelling and camping, while the fire truck allows him to build community both on and off campus in special ways.
“Nathaniel is a great guy; he really has a heart for the Lord,” Irwin said. “He’s really chasing after God and doing fun side quests like this along the way.”
