Donald (Don) C. Heath, Jr., is a Master Deputy Sheriff (M/D) employed by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in Tavares, Florida. ​After retiring at the rank of Sergeant (APR 2011) and meeting the Florida Retirement System mandatory one-year separation requirement, Mr. Heath returned to the Lake County Sheriff's Office in 2012, and is assigned to the Aviation Unit as a Tactical Flight Operator/Tactical Paramedic - Certified (TFO/TP-C) and is assigned to the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team as the Tactical Medical (TACMED) Coordinator. Ancillary duties include serving as the TACMED Coordinator for the Operational Medical Detachment (OMD), Criminal Justice General Instructor/High Liability Instructor assigned to the Training Bureau, and Critical Infrastructure Threat Assessor (CITA) assigned to Homeland Security.


​​Mr. Heath’s 42-year decorated public safety career includes past assignments as a Tactical Flight Operator/Flight Paramedic (TFO/FP) with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (CHASE), Fire Fighter/Paramedic II (Preceptor) and Flight Paramedic (FP) with the Orange County Fire Rescue Department; and Fire Fighter First Class/EMT with the City of Raleigh Fire Department.


Mr. Heath's education includes a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Criminal Justice Studies from Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Florida; an Associate in Science (A.S.) degree in Fire Science Technology from Valencia Community College in Orlando, Florida, and an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in Emergency Medical Science from Wilson County Technical College in Wilson, North Carolina.


Mr. Heath is a certified Criminal Justice General Instructor, and High Liability Instructor certified by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission (CJSTC). He serves as an active curriculum writer on the FDLE First Aid Basic Recruit / Instructor / and Instructor Update courses.  Mr. Heath is a Member of the International Board for Specialty Certifications (IBSC) Tactical Paramedic - Certified (TP-C) Job Analysis Working Group, Tactical Responder - Certified (TR-C) Job Analysis Working Group, TP-C Law Enforcement Liaison Subcommittee, and Wilderness Paramedic - Certified (WP-C) Job Analysis Working Group. Mr. Heath is a Search and Rescue Technician II (SARTECH II) Instructor and Lead Evaluator; and Wilderness Emergency Care (WEC) Advisory Board Member and WEC Instructor for the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR); Tactical Emergency Medical Support (TEMS) Editor. Additionally, Mr. Heath serves as a Peer Reviewer for the Journal of Special Operations Medicine (JSOM), Member of the Board of Directors for the National TEMS Council; Member of the TEMS Committee for the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA); and served as Vice-President (Civilian) of the Board of Directors for the Special Operations Medical Association (SOMA) from MAY 2017-MAY 2019.


Mr. Heath's areas of specialty include:

  • Critical Care Flight Medicine
  • Helicopter Search and Rescue
  • Tactical Combat Casualty Care/Tactical Emergency Casualty Care Medicine 
  • Wilderness Medicine (w/ emphasis on Prolonged Casualty Care)
  • Wilderness Search and Rescue





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