B737-800
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 429
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural MEL / CDL; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General Maintenance Action
Incorrect / Not Installed / Unavailable Part; MEL; Procedure; Human Factors
We arrived at the Gate for our originator and were briefed by the Operations Agent that we had two (2) missing life vests at Seat 17A and 17B; but that the pouches were sealed with the appropriate security seal. The discrepancy was not fixed by the cleaning crew or Ground Operations because they were unsure of the location of the spare life vests. There would also need to be a logbook entry and associated MEL for the usage and therefore missing spare life vests. All these tasks were accomplished per Ops Binder.First of all; kudos to the Cleaning Crew for finding the missing life vests even though there was a seal present on the pouches. I am writing this [report] as a safety concern; since I started wondering how long the life vests had been missing and how or why the pouches were sealed without the life vests being present. I am certain that the implications could be dire during a situation requiring their use.
B737 Captain reported multiple sealed Life Vest Pouches with no life vests inside on airplane.