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Danny AmblerCo-Founder & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) AboutDanny is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of the British and Irish Tactical Medical Association (BRITMA). He provides overall strategic leadership, governance oversight, and financial direction for the organisation, ensuring that BRITMA operates to the highest professional and ethical standards. With a wealth of experience in business and project management, Danny has successfully led complex programmes across operational, educational, and organisational environments. His professional background brings structure, accountability, and strategic foresight to BRITMA’s development as the professional body for Tactical Medicine across the United Kingdom and Ireland. A passionate advocate for education, collaboration, and professional growth, Danny is committed to fostering meaningful relationships between healthcare providers, emergency services, defence, and academia. He believes that progress in Tactical Medicine is achieved through shared learning, open dialogue, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Under his leadership, BRITMA’s mission is clear — to unify the Tactical Medicine community, promote evidence-based standards, and build an enduring professional framework that benefits both practitioners and the public. “BRITMA represents a united professional voice for Tactical Medicine across the UK and Ireland — grounded in collaboration, evidence, and shared experience.” — Danny Ambler | 
Chris RitchieCo-Founder & Chief Operating Officer (COO) AboutChris is the Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of the British and Irish Tactical Medical Association (BRITMA). He holds joint executive responsibility for the organisation’s success, overseeing all operational delivery, communications, and implementation of BRITMA’s strategic objectives. Working in full partnership with the Chief Executive Officer, Chris ensures that BRITMA’s activities are delivered with precision, professionalism, and purpose. With over 17 years of operational experience in Tactical Medicine, Chris has served in specialist and discreet law enforcement roles addressing armed criminality, organised crime, and counter-terrorism. His experience includes designing and implementing medical support strategies for high-risk operations, developing the leadership, composure, and tactical insight that underpin his professional reputation. Alongside his operational background, Chris brings extensive senior management and educational leadership experience, directing the design and delivery of advanced tactical medical training programmes. A driving force in promoting and developing Tactical Medicine across the United Kingdom and Ireland, he is known for his discretion, composure, and commitment to raising professional standards through collaboration and education. “Our goal is to build an organisation that connects people, shares knowledge, and strengthens the professional standards of Tactical Medicine.” — Chris Ritchie |
Leadership
PRESIDENT & VICE PRESIDENTThe President provides professional and clinical leadership for BRITMA, representing the Association nationally and internationally. They chair key meetings, oversee professional strategy, and ensure that BRITMA’s values of integrity, collaboration, and excellence are reflected across all activities. The Vice President supports the President in delivering BRITMA’s mission and acts as a key link between the membership and Executive Leadership. They coordinate committees and working groups, lead professional engagement initiatives, and represent BRITMA within national and inter-agency forums. |
Lieutenant Colonel Jon BarrattPresident MBBS FRCEM FIMC (RCSEd) DMCC AboutLieutenant Colonel Jon Barratt is a Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine with extensive operational experience delivering tactical and trauma care in austere, high-threat, and resource-limited environments. He joined the British Army at 16, later studying medicine in London alongside service with the London University Officers’ Training Corps. He commissioned from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2010 and was posted to 4 Medical Regiment in 2011. In 2012, Jon deployed to Afghanistan on Op HERRICK 16 as Assistant Regimental Medical Officer to 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, embedded within the Battlegroup Operations Company. He provided forward medical support during deliberate ground operations at the point of injury and delivered trauma care within the Role 3 Hospital at Camp Bastion. Following deployment, he completed a Major Trauma Fellowship at The Royal London Hospital and Emergency Medicine training in North West London, with a focus on haemorrhage control, prolonged field care, and operational exposure in the United States. He was a founding member of the Defence group that introduced REBOA into UK military practice. As a PHEM trainee, he flew with MAGPAS and East Anglian Air Ambulance, remaining within the EAAA Consultant team until 2024. He has since returned to Yorkshire Air Ambulance as Clinical Lead for Research and Clinical Innovation. Jon has deployed repeatedly in support of discrete operations and remains focused on endovascular resuscitation and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. He has published extensively and is co-founder of the internationally recognised SPEAR course. |
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To Be Announced Vice PresidentTo Be Announced Credentials to be confirmed AboutThe Vice President supports the President in delivering BRITMA’s mission and acts as a key link between the membership and Executive Leadership. They coordinate committees and working groups, lead professional engagement initiatives, and represent BRITMA within national and inter-agency forums. To be announced following appointment. |
Board Members
GOVERNANCE & PROFESSIONAL OVERSIGHTBRITMA’s Board Members provide subject-matter expertise, professional insight, and sector representation. They support the delivery of BRITMA’s strategic objectives and promote its values across the Tactical Medicine community. Board Members serve for a two-year term (2026–2028) and are drawn from a range of professional backgrounds, including:
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Catriona EdgarBoard Member AboutCaitriona is a Specialist Paramedic within Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) in Ireland, with a professional background in high-threat, complex, and time-critical operational environments. She serves within the National Ambulance Service Tactical Emergency Medical Support (TEMS) capability, providing specialist medical support to law enforcement and state partners during planned and spontaneous high-risk operations. Her operational experience includes medical support to armed policing, public order, and custodial response operations, operating within structured command frameworks and alongside multi-agency tactical teams. This role requires advanced clinical decision-making in non-permissive environments, effective risk management, and close integration with tactical commanders and operators. Alongside her statutory role, Caitriona is an active member of a mountain rescue organisation, delivering pre-hospital care in austere, remote, and technically demanding environments. She is a qualified TAG Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC) instructor, delivering education across Ireland and Great Britain through established training organisations, and has contributed to international medical education initiatives supporting trauma care in challenging operational contexts. Her experience reflects a strong focus on tactical medicine, inter-agency cooperation, and the professional development of clinicians operating in high-risk settings, aligned with BRITMA’s commitment to collaboration, standards, and practitioner support. | 
Stephen O’NeillBoard Member AboutStephen (Stevie) O’Neill is an Operational Advanced Paramedic Supervisor with over 22 years’ experience in pre-hospital emergency care. He currently serves as a Team Lead within the National Ambulance Service Operational Support Incident Response Team, with a primary operational focus on public order operations, Tactical Emergency Medical Support (TEMS), and maritime response capability. He brings more than 15 years’ experience in the development and deployment of TEMS, working closely with Irish security services and delivering operational medical support and training alongside European policing and military units. His background includes extensive involvement in the planning, leadership, and execution of medical support within hostile, high-risk, and complex operational environments. Stevie holds a Higher Diploma in Advanced Paramedic Studies, an MSc in Immediate Care, and is a certified Wilderness Medic (WEMSI). He is an active Mountain Rescue Team member with significant experience in remote and austere medicine. He also holds a QQI Level 7 qualification in Education and Training, is an Advanced Paramedic Tutor, and serves as a TECC Instructor with The ATACC Group. |
Chris MorrisBoard Member AboutChris has been involved in tactical and operational medicine for over three decades, beginning with early exposure to specialist team medic training in high-intensity operational environments. Since that time, he has undertaken numerous domestic and international deployments in both military and civilian capacities, providing medical support across conflict, stabilisation, and post-conflict settings. His operational experience includes roles supporting government and defence activities, diplomatic missions, international non-governmental organisations, and private sector security operations. This has encompassed medical support to aviation-enabled response capabilities, operational medical planning, and the delivery of primary healthcare within complex and resource-limited environments. Alongside deployed work, Chris has held appointments within the UK healthcare system and operated in close protection and specialist security roles requiring integrated medical capability. He continues to practise as a UK-registered paramedic within the security sector and currently holds a senior leadership role overseeing medical operations and clinician recruitment within an established consultancy. He is a UK affiliate faculty member for NAEMT Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC). His career reflects a sustained commitment to tactical medicine, professional education, and the development of clinicians operating in high-risk environments, aligning closely with BRITMA’s mission to promote collaboration, standards, and practitioner support. | 
P.ABoard Member AboutP.A is an Irish military officer with over a decade of experience in training and operational roles, supporting both conventional and special operations units. He has worked in the planning and delivery of medical capability in high-risk, austere environments, with a focus on practical solutions in complex operational settings. He has supported the development and implementation of military medical doctrine, policy, and governance, and has a strong professional interest in pre-hospital emergency care. He is particularly interested in aligning national standards with international best practice to strengthen standardisation and interoperability across uniformed services. He values pragmatic training, sound planning, and evidence-based practice to support improved patient outcomes. |
GRBoard Member AboutGR is a Military Paramedic Officer with over 30 years of experience in tactics, reconnaissance, close medical support, and the design and delivery of medical courses. He began his career as an Infantry Soldier, and after several overseas operational tours, he chose to pursue a career in military medicine. Following completion of his Paramedic qualification, he served as close medical support for units on deployments across the globe. He is currently the Head of Specialisation for Army Paramedics. He has extensive experience in the conception, development, and delivery of medical training in high‑risk and austere environments. His courses span Care Under Fire, Pre‑Hospital and Emergency Care, and Prolonged Casualty Care. He also has significant experience in medical planning for medium to high-risk activities, ensuring the development of coherent plans and the establishment of timelines to support casualty care and evacuation whenever possible. He is a strong advocate for realistic training and believes personnel should be exposed to appropriate levels of stress to ensure effective performance when required. He has a passion for developing leadership, providing commanders with feedback and methods to improve and rationalise decision‑making during high threat and high-risk situations. 
Dr Zaf QasimBoard Member - International Liaison AboutZaf Qasim is an attending (consultant) physician in Emergency Medicine, Critical Care, and Prehospital Care at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He has trained and worked in both the UK and US healthcare systems, providing both in-hospital and prehospital care. His clinical expertise lies primarily in advanced trauma resuscitation methods including endovascular resuscitation techniques such as REBOA. He also serves as a tactical EMS physician to the Drug Enforcement Administration's Special Response Team, providing both operational and educational support. His educational and advisory roles also include providing editorial oversight of the Tactical Emergency Casualty Care Course (TECC) run through the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, being on the board of advisors to the Committee for Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (C-TECC), and providing tactical EMS education to prehospital clinicians in the Philadelphia region as well as at national and international conferences. He values collaboration across systems and nations to identify best practices that can improve individual patient care delivery. | 
Dr Claire L ParkBoard Member - ETMA Liaison MBE MBChB FRCA FFICM DipIMC DipRTM AboutClaire Park is a Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Consultant with London HEMS and a Critical Care and Trauma Consultant at Kings College Hospital. She holds an Honorary Senior Lecturer role at Queen Mary University London and works as the Medical Adviser to the Metropolitan Police Service as well as sitting on the National Police Clinical Governance Panel. Internationally Claire is a Director and Co-Founder of the European Tactical Medical Association and a Guidelines Committee Member for the Committee for Tactical Emergency Casualty Care. Claire has over 20 years of deployed military experience as an army doctor in a variety of roles spanning point of wounding care, forward surgical teams, the Medical Emergency Response Team and as a Role 3 Anaesthetist / Intensivist. |
Term of OfficeAll elected and appointed positions within BRITMA are held for a period of two years (2026–2028). Individuals may not hold the same position for more than one consecutive term but may serve in another role in subsequent elections. This approach ensures continuity, diversity of leadership, and the sustainable growth of the Association. Our CommitmentBRITMA’s leadership team is united by a shared mission — to advance Tactical Medicine across the United Kingdom and Ireland through professionalism, education, and collaboration. Together, they represent a new era of cooperation, credibility, and community within Tactical Medicine. |