MIT Fire Department: Firetruck Hack on the Dome

On the 5th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, a large (twenty-five feet long) red firetruck appeared on MIT's Great Dome (Building 10). It was adorned with a logo on the door featuring the man and woman from the MIT logo dressed as firemen, with a banner in front reading "Meminimus" (Latin for 'We Remember') and the text MIT FIRE around the outside. Though it has its own police and emergency medical services, MIT does not in fact have its own fire department. (yet.) The back of the truck was adorned with pressure guages, a ladder, and a length of real firehose, while a number of inflatable dalmations were attached to the outside of the truck and an inflatable fireman sat at the steering wheel. I was allowed to photograph the disassembly and removal of the firetruck hack by MIT Facilities workers.

  • The Firetruck on the Great Dome is illuminated by the spotlight from an MIT Campus Police cruiser at 4:08AM, marking the moment when the Campus Police discovered the hack.
  • The Firetruck on the Great Dome, as seen from the west side of campus.
  • On the anniversary of 9/11, MIT students placed a firetruck on top of MIT's Great Dome.
  • The Firetruck on the Great Dome, as seen from Killian Court.
  • An MIT employee went up to inspect the Firetruck hack the afternoon that it appeared on the dome.
  • An MIT employee prepares to descend the Dome after inspecting the Firetruck hack the afternoon it appeared on the Great Dome.
  • The firetruck that MIT hackers put on the Great Dome on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks featured an inflatable fireman at the wheel, several inflatable dalmations around the truck, a ladder, a length of fire hose, guages, a flashing red light on top that was well-visible at night, the words "MIT FIRE DEPT" on the side, and the inscription "MIT FIRE / Meminimus" on the door.
                  • Several workers from MIT's Facilities Department stand next to the firetruck atop the Great Dome as they prepare to take it down.
                  • The firetruck that MIT hackers put on the Great Dome on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks featured an inflatable fireman at the wheel, several inflatable dalmations around the truck, a ladder, a length of fire hose, guages, a flashing red light on top that was well-visible at night, the words "MIT FIRE DEPT" on the side, and the inscription "MIT FIRE / Meminimus" on the door.
                  • Several workers from MIT's Facilities Department stand next to the firetruck atop the Great Dome as they prepare to take it down.
                  • MIT Facilities workers disassemble the Firetruck Hack on top of the Great Dome.
                    • An MIT Facilities worker carries the door of the firetruck down the side of the Great Dome.
                    • MIT Facilities workers with a panel from the top of the firetruck, with the number '19'.
                    • MIT Physical Plant workers remove the cab portion of a firetruck that students placed on MIT's Great Dome on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The cab, a genuine pickup truck cab likely dating to the 50s or 60s, was estimated to weigh 200lbs.
                    • MIT Facilities workers lower the cab portion of the firetruck down from the Great Dome using a ramp made from 2x4s. The cab was estimated to weigh 200lbs.