Lifejacket or Bowling Shirt?

[hawaiian mage]

Sorry, I know sexual harrassment is a weird thing for firefighters to need, but I'm just really confused about this lifejacket thing!

I seriously don't understand why one is "essential." It seems like more of the present societies overprotection problem. I'm imagining that if lots of people were going in more than half would be getting out with extra people, and that means less relief effort, right?