The Berlin Fire Brigade during the blockade

The airlift and blockade imposed on West Berlin had a significant impact on the Berlin Fire Department. Unlike many other organizations, it remained unaffected by the division into East and West. The fire department had to conduct operations across the entire city of Berlin, which became much more complicated due to the blockade. The life-threatening and physically demanding work that the Berlin firefighters had to perform took its toll. Therefore, the city administration and the Allies agreed on special food rations for the fire department personnel.

Since July 21, 1946, the Berlin Fire Department received monthly allocations of 200 kg of baked goods, 100 kg of canned meat, 10 kg of sugar, and 10 kg of coffee grounds, which were distributed internally among the firefighters. However, these rations were designated solely for those engaged in fighting major fires or performing exceptionally demanding tasks. In July 1948, these rations were initially discontinued and later drastically reduced. Upon inquiry, the responsible main nutrition office indicated that only Soviet rations (36.5 kg of canned meat) would be delivered to the fire department. They added that both powers had, however, prohibited the distribution of the food they provided beyond the respective sectors. The continued delivery of their portion of canned meat was utilized by the Soviet side as a propaganda tool to highlight the alleged inferiority of the Western Allies.