Dr. John Meade is Director of Tactical Medicine for Suarez International. He designs, oversees and helps teach all the medical courses. He is a board-certified Emergency Physician, having obtained his MD from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in 1986, then surgical training at University of Alabama Birmingham 1986-88, and completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Orlando Regional Medical Center in 1992.

Dr. Meade has been very involved in the public safety arena his entire life. In high school, he was a member of a volunteer fire department, and a rescue diver with the local rescue squad. Since beginning his Emergency Medicine practice, he has increased that involvement in many ways. He has been the medical director of many agencies, including helicopter and ground EMS, search & rescue squads, fire departments, community colleges and police agencies. He is a reserve municipal police officer, and an active member of their SWAT entry team. Dr. Meade’s “real job” is on a military base, treating the injuries and illnesses of our fighting men and women, and teaching others how to do the same.

As Director of Tactical Medicine, Dr. Meade has devised the Suarez International classes, including Tactical Medicine for the CCW Operator, Advanced Tactical Medicine and others. Additional projects, including DVD's and books, are in the pipeline.

All of this, combined with a lifelong interest in guns, knives and combatives, gives Dr. Meade a unique perspective on medicine. A gifted instructor, he shares this lifetime of experience with SI students.