Salvador Cortez
is a retired police sergeant with 30 years of California law enforcement experience, and nearly 30 years of experience as a licensed paramedic, in both the private sector and law enforcement. He spent 27 years as a member of the California Highway Patrol, working in various assignments. He has an extensive background in airborne law enforcement, working as a helicopter flight officer-paramedic, involved in police activities and search and rescue, while also serving as the air units EMS coordinator and liaison to state and local entities.
Sal acquired tactical medical experience while assigned as a tactical medic, deployed to numerous civil disturbance events throughout the state. While assigned as a member of the Governors Protective Detail, in addition to security, his duties also included acting as the paramedic for the governor and first family. Prior to retirement from the CHP, he was assigned to the CHP Academy as the supervisor of the EMS Unit, providing instruction, curriculum development and overseeing all BLS instruction and programs for Academy cadets and field personnel, including the development and launch of the Departments tactical medicine program. Additionally, he represented the Department as the EMS liaison to POST, involved in BLS curriculum revision and development. Currently, he works as a deputy sheriff in Placer County, assigned to their training division, where he continues to assist with BLS curriculum development and instruction in tactical medicine.
Ken Elmore
has been a firearms engineer, manufacturer, operator, and instructor for over 31 years and is the owner of Elmore Mfg Co in Arizona. From 1997-2007 he was a member of COLT Law Enforcement Training (COLT Defense LLC) instructing thousands of police and military personnel from around the world, as well as doing work for the US Government at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center, Ft. Bragg, NC, where he helped develop and upgrade several training courses.
Ken is a US Army combat veteran who speaks fluent German. SGT Elmore spent 2 years with 3rd Infantry Division in West Germany and was later a Squad Leader for a demolitions and light weapons squad in 7th Infantry Division. This unit participated in combat and military police operations during the Panama Invasion (1989-90) at the International Airport and Rio Hato Special Forces compound.
Since 2008 Ken has been teaching for Specialized Armament, including basic and advanced weapons courses, machine shop skills, and range work, as well as doing engineering and consulting on several outside projects. Ken is both static line and HALO jump qualified as a life member of the US Parachute Association. His SCUBA diving career includes technical certifications in mixed gas and specialty diving in both the US and overseas.
Lawrence E. Heiskell, MD, FACEP, FAAFP
is the founder and director of the International School of Tactical Medicine. Lawrence is residency trained in both emergency medicine and family medicine and has been an emergency physician for 35 years. Prior to attending medical school he spent 5 years with the United States Antarctic Research Program and served on 3 expeditions to Antarctica and the South Pole. For his scientific and exploration contributions he was awarded the Congressional Antarctic Service Medal in 1979. He began his 32 year career in law enforcement as a reserve deputy and SWAT team physician with the Kern County Sheriff’s Department in Bakersfield, California. Lawrence is currently a reserve police officer with the Palm Springs Police Department and is the team physician for Desert Regional SWAT in Palm Springs, California.
He served on an 18-agency member tactical medicine coalition under the auspices of the California Commission on Police Officer Standards and Training and California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) to create the State of California Tactical Medicine Operational Programs and Standardized Training Recommendations. He is a graduate of P.O.S.T., D.O.J., NTOA, Heckler & Koch and FBI SWAT schools.
Lawrence has lectured extensively nationally and internationally on the subject of Tactical Medicine and has published over 70 articles and other publications and related topics. He is a co-author of the widely recognized benchmark textbook Tactical Medicine Essentials now in the second edition. He is a California P.O.S.T. certified Firearms Instructor and Rangemaster as well as a Heckler & Koch MP5 Master Instructor. Over the years he has has provided special operations emergency medical support for the FBI, DEA and BATF. He is also a graduate of the DEA Clandestine Drug Laboratory Investigation School and the California P.O.S.T. Academy Instructor Certification Program. Lawrence has worked overseas with several European law enforcement agencies to develop and implement tactical medicine programs.
He is currently working with California POST and EMSA to develop new educational programs to improve medical training for law enforcement officers and medical response for Fire and EMS agencies in active shooter and mass casualty incidents. On October 1, 2018 he was given the Tactical Medicine Visionary Leader Award by the American College of Emergency Physicians Section of Tactical Emergency Medicine. On August 23, 2019 he was given the Distinguished Service Award by the California Reserve Peace Officers Association.
Larry Hiyakumoto, NRP
is a retired Sergeant and served with the California Highway Patrol for 26 years in California law enforcement. Larry has worked a variety of assignments to include Governor’s Protective Detail, 15 years SWAT, range master, firearms instructor, and field training officer. Larry is a graduate of CATO’s SWAT Team Leader Course, FEMA LASER instructor program, California POST Active Shooter Training, Protection of Public Officials, Santa Clara Sheriff’s Sniper School, and GRYPHON Group Security Solutions trained. Larry also served as a 34 year veteran as a USAF Pararescueman (PJ) stationed with the 41st ARRS, 24th Special Tactics Squadron, and the 131st Rescue Squadron. As a PJ he was a team leader, instructor, and examiner (IJ/EJ). Larry has served in the Middle East on numerous occasions in different conflicts, earned a Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor, and retired honorably as a Chief Master Sergeant.
Peter Baumeister, MD
Is an emergency medicine physician, , flight surgeon, wilderness medicine and tactical medicine physician. He attended medical school at Oklahoma State University, and completed his residency at Stanford university in emergency medicine. He has been serving with the US military since 2003 with various units in the US Navy, USMC, US Army, and NASA as well as worked with various foreign military units (including Australian military and Canadian military units). His duties have directly supported multiple strike fighter squadron‘s, search and rescue, surface warfare, EOD, anti submarine warfare, aerospace medicine, dive medicine, mountain warfare, mountain rescue/medicine, test and evaluation, and special project development groups. He has served around world, twice; and been on over 30 detachments and deployments. He has performed medical evacuations off of six continents, is a wilderness Medicine instructor for the US military and WildMED, and has been a tactical medicine instructor for the USN, USMC, operation unban shield, several elite private security groups and at the ISTM since 2016. He is the founder of Tactical Medical Resources and Tier 1 Medical Resources, and is currently serving with the US Marine Corps 4th Med BN as a Flight surgeon, Emergency Medicine Physician and Tactical Medicine expert. He is also a community ER Doc in southern PA, and supports local Police, Sherriff, SWAT, Fire and EMS with medical support and training.
Tom Massetti
is currently a retired Sergeant and served for a State of California Law Enforcement Agency for the past 24 years. Tom has worked a variety of assignments including Patrol, Field Training Officer, SWAT Operator and Sniper/Assistant,Team leader, Academy Advanced Officer Safety Instructor, Academy Firearms Instructor and Investigations. Tom is currently a supervisor in an investigations unit and a team leader of a warrant service team. Tom also served in the United States Marine Corps, with assignments to the Marine Corps Security Force Battalion, Atlantic and the Fleet Marine Force as an infantry squad leader.
Patrick Siegert, MSc
is a close protection specialist with over 20 years of experience in personal and executive protection as well as in Emergency Medicine. Patrick is Deputy Sheriff and Paramedic with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado. He is the owner of the German “Security & Rescue Guard -SRG”, a internationally operating security firm, providing security and medical services. He is a German EMT-P equivalent “Rettungsassistent”, a EMS supervisor, Mass Casualty Incidence Commander and Water Rescue Commander. He has earned his Master of Science in Security & Safety Management and wrote his Master’s Thesis about Tactical Medicine within the German SWAT units. Patrick works with international clients and companies.
Gary Sommers
is a retired police sergeant with 44 years law enforcement experience. Gary spent 21 years with Prince Georges County Police Department and 21 years with the Montgomery County Police Department. He is a former SWAT team member and sniper with 30 years experience in firearms instruction. Gary is retired from Montgomery County (Maryland) Police, where he was a full time academy and firearms instructor and continues to teach as a volunteer firearms instructor. Gary was an instructor for the Anti-Terrorism school for the US State Department and taught in 13 foreign countries. Gary served as an adjunct instructor for the Heckler & Koch International Training Division and is Maryland Police Training Commission (MPTC) certified.
Jonathan J. Wycinsky
is a retired, fourteen plus year veteran in California law enforcement. Within his law enforcement career, Jonathan has worked a variety of assignments including POP, Motors, Mobile Field Force, High Risk Protection Detail, and SWAT. Jonathan is a range master, firearms instructor, CA POST certified academy instructor, and holds a Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice. He is a graduate of the original ISTM course in 1996, Solutions Group International High Risk Dignitary Protection Course, and a two time graduate of GUNSITE. Since 1994, Jonathan has held a National Registry EMT certification, and is currently an Intermediate EMT. Jonathan has an eleven year military background as an operator in the USAF Special Operations, Pararescue Teams. Jonathan is currently working as an executive protection specialist for a high value confidential employer.