South Florida understands preparation. We live with hurricanes, we plan for them, we drill for them, and even near misses sharpen our readiness. It’s part of our culture—we prepare so life keeps moving forward.

But there is another kind of disaster we rarely prepare for, the kind most people may never face in their lifetime: a man-made mass-casualty or terrorist attack.
And while the odds are low, the consequences of being unprepared are catastrophic. The truth is simple:

We have the people.
We have the equipment.
But our senior leadership has not been trained to the level today’s threats demand.

“Throughout my career, I’ve trained law enforcement officers across the country in crisis response, leadership, and tactical decision-making,” said Beau Cisco, candidate for Palm Beach County Sheriff 2028. “One thing I’ve learned is that you don’t always have to train for the exact event—you have to build the foundations that allow your agency to adapt instantly when it happens.”

These foundations—what Cisco calls “the building blocks of readiness”—are the essential skills, mindsets, and leadership principles that make an agency flexible, disciplined, and capable when a crisis unfolds. PBSO has the talent and tools. What it needs is consistent training, real accountability, and command-level preparation.

PBSO has conducted small-unit tactical training before, but not consistently and not across enough environments.
To meet modern threats, deputies from every division—Patrol, SWAT, TACT, EFF—must be able to operate as a cohesive, coordinated team under real-world conditions.

Cisco’s plan expands and modernizes these drills across multiple venues, ensuring every deputy can function confidently under pressure, not just specialized units.

In a mass-casualty event, seconds save lives.
Specialized teams such as SWAT, TAC (Tactical Unit), and the Emergency Field Force (EFF) must be cross-trained in:

• Tactical wound care
• Casualty evacuation
• Rapid medical stabilization
   

“The Emergency Field Force already plays a critical role in civil unrest and disaster relief,” Cisco said. “But they could also become a bridge between law enforcement and emergency medicine—able to render life-saving aid when fire rescue is overwhelmed.”

This is not mission creep—this is readiness. Cross-trained deputies become force multipliers when every second counts.

The greatest failures in major incidents rarely occur on the front lines.
They occur at the command post.

“There’s no formal testing process for command decision-making after promotion,” Cisco explained. “Tabletop exercises and live scenario training must become a standard for our Lieutenants, Captains, and Commanders.”  Promotions to command should not be assumed to guarantee capability. Past national incidents have shown that captains and command staff have not always show themselves to be the tacticians we needed.  

Cisco’s approach creates:

• Mandatory decision-making simulations
• Real-time crisis leadership evaluations
• Accountability for command readiness
   

“If a commander cannot lead in a crisis, they cannot lead in the agency,” Cisco said. “Our deputies and citizens deserve better.”

A modern deputy must be more than a single-skill specialist.
Cisco envisions deputies who can:

• Secure perimeters
• Provide tactical wound care
• Coordinate evacuations
• Assist with prisoner or patient transport
• Protect critical infrastructure
   

“Imagine a deputy who can secure a perimeter, treat a wound, coordinate evacuations, and assist with prisoner or patient transport—all in one operation,” Cisco said. “That’s the future of law enforcement readiness.”  Each deputy becomes a multi-sided building block, capable of fitting into several roles the moment they’re needed.

Government too often runs on habit, comfort, and reputation. PBSO cannot.

“In law enforcement, popularity doesn’t save lives—preparation does,” Cisco said. “If you can’t perform your role as a building block, you can’t be part of the structure. We must get back to a results-driven culture that prioritizes readiness over reputation.” Under Cisco’s leadership, capability—not connections—will define advancement.

A disaster—natural or man-made—tests far more than equipment.
It tests leadership.

Our deputies are exceptional.
Our tools are strong.
But our top-level leadership must be trained, tested, and prepared for crisis—because when seconds matter, hesitation at the top is deadly.

“I’ve spent 25 years preparing others for the worst days of their career,” Cisco said. “And if elected Sheriff, Palm Beach County will not be caught unprepared—because we will train from the ground up, starting with command.”

Now It’s Time We Prepare for Everything Else.**

“South Floridians know how to prepare for hurricanes. It’s time we prepare for everything else,” Cisco concluded. “If that day ever comes, PBSO will not fail.”

Under Beau Cisco’s leadership, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office will be ready, practiced, and capable—from road patrol to executive command.