Helmet Cards? Why do firefighters use them.

The idea goes back to the World Wars.

In World War I and II, soldiers were often issued ID cards or tags, but chaos on the battlefield meant those could be lost. Many soldiers placed a card with their name, unit, blood type, or next of kin inside their helmet as a backup. If a soldier was killed or badly wounded, medics or fellow soldiers could quickly identify them by checking the helmet. Helmets were more likely to stay near the body than loose paperwork, so this became a practical habit rather than a formal rule.

This practice wasn’t always officially mandated—it spread because it worked.

Soldiers put playing cards, most famously the Ace of Spades, in their helmet bands in Vietnam for psychologiac warefare, believing the symbol of death and bad luck would demoralize the enemy and bring them good fortune.

Firefighters adopted the idea for very similar reasons, though today it is often more symbolic than functional. Firefighters will frequently trade helmet cards with one another, much like challenge coins. These cards can mark milestones in a firefighter’s career, significant calls, or shared experiences.

If a department does not allow custom helmet shields, many firefighters use helmet cards as a way to show pride in their station, crew, truck, or department. The tradition promotes brotherhood and honors the history of the fire service.  Sometimes the helmet cards is just something funny, a parody of something in the fire service.  

Helmet cards are also used to remember the fallen or to commemorate significant incidents. This is where the tradition becomes heavy—and deeply meaningful. After a line-of-duty death, a firefighter’s helmet card may be preserved, displayed at the station, or worn by another firefighter during a memorial. Some firefighters carry a fallen colleague’s helmet card behind their own or swap cards as a sign of respect after a close call or major incident.

At funerals and memorials, helmet cards are often collected and placed on a helmet, casket, or memorial wall. It’s a quiet way of saying: you’re still part of the crew.

Helmet cards endure because they’re simple, reliable, personal, and deeply tied to identity in dangerous work. They’re not flashy—but that’s kind of the point.