Brink Fidler
Having spent nearly two decades in law enforcement, Brink Fidler respectably served with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department as well as the 20th Judicial District Drug Task Force in Nashville. In addition to his regular law enforcement duties, he also served as an adjunct firearms and tactics instructor. He has planned and conducted hundreds of high risk, tactical, and covert operations. He has served as an officer, narcotics investigator, patrol sergeant, narcotics sergeant, and retired as the Director of the Drug Task Force in Nashville. During his extensive career, Fidler directed and supervised the most complex investigations. These multifaceted investigations involved hundreds of court-ordered wiretaps, thousands of hours of physical and electronic surveillance, and hundreds of search warrants throughout the United States.
This extensive background, coupled with his continuous and in-depth study of active shooter events, gives him a very unique and insightful approach to this frequent and worsening problem as well as best practices for mitigating damage during such an event. As a widely-recognized security expert, he is a frequently booked speaker on the topic of active shooter events and organizational response. His knowledge and dedication to the protection of property and keeping people safe is why he created Defend Systems.
Tracey Mendenhall
Tracey Mendenhall serves as the Vice President of Operations for Defend Systems. She joined the team in 2022 after having served for 10 years as a police officer with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. During her time as an officer, she spent five years at the training academy and served as the first female to be assigned to the confrontation management section.
During her law enforcement career, Tracey obtained certifications as a firearms instructor, defensive tactics instructor, and additionally completed the Emergency Medical Technician program with the Metro Nashville Fire Department and became a certified instructor in TCCC/TECC and Basic Life Support. She helped to develop, execute, and expand the extensive medical program to include teaching all new recruits Tactical Emergency Casualty Care, CPR/AED, and Narcan usage to all recruits and currently sworn officers.
Tracey is also certified as an ALERRT Active Shooter and CRASE instructor and is the first female to complete the SWAT process with the police department where she formerly served on the team as a SWAT medic.
Tracey earned her bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University, and she currently resides in Hendersonville, Tennessee with her husband, twin daughters, and stepson.
Gloria Maas
Gloria came on board with Defend Systems in 2023 and serves as the Director of Auxiliary Programs. She came to us after previously working as the first Enterprise Risk Manager for a large Independent School in the Nashville area. While there, she was charged with building an all-hazards risk management program from scratch that included complete overhauls of Emergency Operations, building an in-house armed security program, and implementing an unbiased, strategic decision-making risk register.
With 14 years of coaching and training experience through volleyball, leading yoga classes, and teaching fitness and nutrition, Gloria brings a flexible, wide range of instructional value to the team. In addition to her yoga and fitness certifications, she also has numerous FEMA and NIMS certifications, holds an OSHA 10-hour industry card, is a certified Tennessee Armed Security Guard, and is TECC and First Aid/CPR/AED certified.
Gloria earned her bachelor’s degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Homeland Security with an area of concentration in Emergency Management and a minor in International Relations. While at Embry-Riddle, she was also a member of the Volleyball Team, earning various awards as an Academic All-American, Scholar Athlete, Presidents Team member, All-Conference player, Dean’s list member, and was selected to represent the volleyball program on the Student Athlete Leadership Team.
She currently resides in the greater Nashville area with her husband, son, stepdaughter, and two dogs.
Adam McIntyre
Adam McIntyre is a seasoned professional with multiple deployments over an illustrious 20-year career in the United States Army, dedicating 15 years to the elite Special Forces, commonly known as the Green Berets.
Upon earning the prestigious Green Beret, Adam was assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group, where he joined a Special Forces Operational Detachment – Alpha (SFOD-A). Deploying multiple times to the Middle East, he later transitioned to the Special Warfare Training Group, serving as a Military Free Fall Instructor for four years. In this role, he instructed advanced jumpers at the Advanced Tactical Infiltration Course, gaining skills and experience as an effective instructor.
Continuing his professional development, Adam pursued the 18F, Special Forces Intelligence Sergeant Course. As a result, his role within the detachment evolved to encompass intelligence gathering for mission planning, physical security, threat vulnerability assessments, and ultimately serving as the assistant operations sergeant of the team. His leadership skills were further recognized when he was selected to become a Master Sergeant and assumed the role of Operations Sergeant for a SFOD-A. In this capacity, he led a 12-man detachment through two deployments to the Middle East.
Throughout his career, Adam pursued various courses to enhance his skills, including language school becoming fluent in French, Special Forces Qualification Course (Small Unit Tactics, Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape, and Weapons Sergeant), Ranger School, Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat Course, Special Forces Sniper Course, Military Free Fall, Military Free Fall Jump Master, Advanced Tactical Infiltration Course, Combat Life Saver, Tactical Combat Casualty Care, Instructor Training Course, Senior Leader Course, Master Leader Course, and Physical Surveillance.
Currently residing in Tennessee with his wife and three children, Adam McIntyre continues to bring a wealth of expertise and leadership to the professional realm.
Madison Hicks
Madison Hicks joined Defend Systems in 2024 as the Marketing and Communications Coordinator, bringing a unique perspective as a former client. After experiencing Defend Systems' active shooter mitigation training in 2023, Madison was inspired by its critical importance and resolved to transition into the field. Her goal is to raise awareness about the vital nature of this training and its availability, ensuring more people understand its essential role in preparedness and empowerment.
Madison started her career at a Nashville law practice, where she executed marketing and business development efforts, helped establish an entertainment law practice group, and managed a busy caseload of attorneys. In 2021, she took on the role of Communications Coordinator at a healthcare association with over 150 member hospitals. There, she excelled in developing and implementing communication strategies for patient safety programs, managing email marketing, website content, event planning, report development, and social media.
Madison holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Pepperdine University. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband.
Amanda Derington, MD
Dr. Amanda Derington is an Emergency Room physician at Tristar Skyline Medical Center, a Level 1 Trauma Center, and is the EMS Medical Director for Tristar. She completed her emergency medicine training at Indiana University and then went on to complete a fellowship in Emergency Medical Services with an emphasis in tactical medicine.
Dr. Derington is also a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army National Guard where she has served for 14 years. She has deployed twice and currently functions as the brigade flight surgeon for an expeditionary combat aviation brigade. She loves all aspects of EMS but her passion lies in tactical medicine.
Justin Coker
Justin Coker has served in law enforcement since 2007 at one of the top 25 largest departments in the country. The first portion of his career was spent working in small proactive units focused on the apprehension and prosecution of violent felons. Working in these units gave him valuable experience and insight in the areas of covert surveillance, operations, and the planning and conducting of high-risk tactical operations.
Coker was then assigned to his department’s training academy where he served as a lead law enforcement instructor with over 50 training certifications and 19 instructor credentials. Coker’s instructor responsibilities include firearms, defensive tactics, medical training, critical incident management, and small unit tactics with a primary focus on being his agency’s subject matter expert for active shooter response. This includes the creation of training standards for law enforcement response to active shooter events, civilian response, as well as serving as the program manager of Rescue Task Force response during mass casualty incidents. Additionally, he is responsible for planning and coordinating Rescue Task Force operations for major city events that include over 300,000 guests.
Coker has an intense focus on training and studying how to prevent, survive, and manage mass casualty events. He is currently finishing a degree in Management of Emergency Services that focuses on risk and threat mitigation strategies, crowd management, and the management of critical incidents from natural disasters to terrorist attacks. He enjoys teaching others and is eager to share his knowledge and experience in making all organizations safer.
Jason Tucker
Jason Tucker serves at a high volume local FIRE/EMS department as a nationally registered Paramedic assigned to the Special Operations division as a medical specialist for a Type 1 CBRNE hazardous materials unit and rescue task force (RTF) collaboration with law enforcement in response to active aggressor mitigation. He holds multidisciplinary technical rescue skillsets, FEMA DHS NDPC specialist certifications, and operational experience in urban/rural/remote EMS, critical care/flight, Level 1 Trauma adult/pediatric emergency departments, high threat/tactical EMS, reserve law enforcement, public safety communications, sports medicine, special event management, humanitarian aid, urban search & rescue (US&R) disaster deployments, and urban/wilderness K-9 search & rescue/forensic human remains detection (HRD) recovery.
Tucker is a board certified critical care/flight paramedic graduate, EMS educator/consultant, and holds degrees in A.S. Paramedicine and B.S. Public Health/Emergency Management. He is continuing professional progression to M.A. Homeland Defense & Security and international board certification in security/risk management and asset protection.
Tucker has over 18 years progressive training as a Krav Maga practitioner and enjoys ultra trail running.
Joshua Black
Josh Black currently supervises the SWAT team for a large police department in Tennessee. He is a nineteen-year veteran of that police department and has been a member of the department’s SWAT team for fourteen years. He has a variety of police experience to include assignments with patrol, flex (proactive directed patrol), plain clothes street level drug/prostitution enforcement, the department’s training academy, and SWAT. Black’s functional specialties with SWAT have included sniper team member and medic unit leader. Black is also experienced in a variety of tactical team skills including high risk warrant service, entry team tactics, hostage rescue, fugitive investigations, dignitary protection, high angle operations, waterborne operations, and aerial platform operations.
Black attended the Nashville Fire Department’s recruit academy and became licensed in the state of Tennessee as an Emergency Medical Technician in 2018. He also maintains his National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians certification. Black, and fellow Defend Systems instructors Bart Rader and Tracey Mendenhall, developed the current emergency medical training program for the department.
Black holds instructor certifications in the following: FBI Firearms instructor, Safariland Less Lethal Instructor, Tacflow .50 caliber operator/instructor, Texas State University CRASE instructor (Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events), National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians TCCC instructor (Tactical Combat Casualty Care), American Heart Association Basic Life Support instructor, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Basic Tactical Medical Instructor. Additionally, he is trained in the National Incident Command System, Disaster Management, and Emergency Preparedness.
Prior to his current employment, Black served with the Uniformed Division of the United States Secret Service from 2002-03. During his employment with the USSS, Black worked under President George W. Bush’s administration and was assigned to the White House Branch. His duties included physical security, vehicle inspections, and the civil disturbance unit.
Black holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration from American Military University. He served with the United States Marine Corps from 1993-97, achieving the rank of Sergeant, prior to being honorably discharged. His military occupational specialties were Infantry Machine-gunner and Basic Security Guard.
Jason Rader
Jason Rader currently serves with a large Metropolitan Police Department S.W.A.T. team as an operator and tactical medic. He joined the department in 1999 and has been a SWAT team member since 2002. During his time on the SWAT team, he has served as a sniper, tactical medic, and energetic breacher.
In addition to his multiple training courses and certifications, he is also a certified AEMT and TCCC instructor for the NAEMT. In this capacity he has trained and certified hundreds of law enforcement personnel in both Tactical Combat Casualty Care as well as Tactical Emergency Casualty Care.
Jason has a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Cumberland University and currently lives in Goodlettsville, TN with his wife and three daughters.
Christopher Brown
Christopher Brown is the Trauma Outreach Educator and Senior Program Manager for the Strategic Medical Asset Readiness Training Program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He is responsible for facilitating trauma classes and surgical courses for Vanderbilt Division of Acute Care Surgery, and he is also responsible for developing and teaching trauma awareness-related courses to the public and local emergency services.
Brown has been in EMS for 30 +years. During his career, Brown was active in several rescue responses and served on high angle, swift water, dive, trench, confined space, and building shoring/ structural collapse units. Brown was also responsible for all aspects of disaster and emergency planning for his agency and served as the training officer for several years. He also served his community as a reserve police officer for the City of Clarksville’s police department.
He now serves as an instructor for many different American College of Surgeons certification courses, including ATLS, ATOM, ASSET, DMEP, and he routinely teaches for the Trauma Surgical Critical Care Department. He maintains certifications/instructorships in BLS, ACLS, PHTLS, PALS, NRP, ADLS, AHMLS, TCCC, TECC and Haz-Mat Operations and is a certified tactical paramedic. He serves as state liaison to the TN American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma for the STOP the BLEED program and is a representative for the National STOP the BLEED campaign.
Brown holds a bachelor’s degree in emergency medical care from Eastern Kentucky University and holds a master’s degree in disaster preparedness and homeland security from Arkansas State University. He lives in Brentwood, TN, with his wife, Neda.
Khalid Abbady
Khalid Abbady has served as a police officer for a large Metropolitan Police Department in Tennessee since 2014. He has been assigned to the department’s training academy as a full time instructor for defensive tactics, tactical emergency casualty care and Rescue Task Force since 2020. He holds certifications for NAEMT TECC Instructor, Gracie Survival Training Instructor, SSGT Vanguard level I and II Instructor, and ALERRT Active Killer Response.
Prior to becoming a police officer, he spent 4 years as an active-duty U.S. Army Medic, and 3 more years in the Army Reserve. While in the Army, Mr. Abbady was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division where he served as a line medic for the 187th Infantry Division Rakkasans.
Mr. Abbady received intensive tactical medical training while serving in the Army and provided Combat Life Saver training to soldiers in the U.S. Army, Republic of Korea Army, and the Afghan Army.Mr. Abbady received an A.S. Fire Science degree from Cape Cod Community College in 2010 and has been EMT certified since 2014.
Mr. Abbady lives with his wife of 10 years, 2 children and 2 dogs in Nashville Tennessee.
Stephen Waterman
Stephen Waterman is currently a police officer with a large Metropolitan Police Department in Tennessee and also serves as a S.W.A.T. Medic for the department. He assists in training S.W.A.T. members in trauma management as well as new recruits and current officers through CPR, TECC, and Naloxone courses while working as an instructor at the police academy.
Waterman proudly served in the United States Army Reserves, where he was a medical and leadership academy instructor from 2014 to 2023. He also served on active duty in the United States Army's 101st Airborne Division as a clinical medic, infantry line medic, senior line medic, and cadre for the expert field medic badge.
Stephen holds a bachelor's degree in criminology and a minor in Spanish from the University of Northern Iowa and has been a nationally licensed EMT since 2011, as well as a licensed EMT in Tennessee since 2023. His other certifications include American Heart Association BLS Instructor, NAEMT TECC Instructor, Taser Instructor and Less Lethal Munitions Instructor. He lives in Ashland City, TN with his wife, five children, and four dogs.
Taylor Blackwelder
Taylor Blackwelder has served as a member of a large metropolitan police department since 2020. She is currently assigned to the departments training academy where she serves as a lead instructor for the Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC) program and various other programs. Prior to starting her career in law enforcement, Taylor worked as a Registered Nurse from 2013-2020 and still maintains her RN certification.
Taylor has a Bachelor of Science in both Nursing (Western Governor’s University) and Recording Industry (Middle Tennessee State University). Her drive and dedication have led her to a number of professional development opportunities including TECC Provider, TECC Instructor, CPR/BLS Provider, CPR/Heartsaver Instructor, Emergency Vehicle Operations Instructor, and various others.
William Dean
William Dean is an officer with a large Metropolitan Police Department in Tennessee. He currently serves on the full-time Special Weapons and Tactics Team as an operator and as a tactical medic. His current role is focused on the service of high-risk warrants, the capture of violent felons, and assisting in training other officers inside of the department in various aspects of tactical police work. Officer Dean currently teaches Tactical Emergency Casualty Care for multiple law enforcement agencies and is a certified EMT-B with the state of Tennessee.
Officer Dean has been in Law Enforcement since 2013 and has served in patrol, narcotics, and currently as a tactical officer since 2017. He has completed courses in Tactical Narcotics, CBRNE, Tactical Emergency Medicine, and other aspects of police work.
Prior to entering the police force, Officer Dean served in the Army from 2005-2011 as an infantryman. He deployed to both Iraq (2007-2009) and Afghanistan (2010-2011). He served as a rifle team leader in Iraq and then as a rifle squad leader in Afghanistan. While in the military, Officer Dean completed courses to include Air Assault, Airborne, Warrior Leaders Course, and Advanced Leaders Course.
Officer Dean currently resides in Middle Tennessee with his wife, two children, and dog.
Cody Jarvis
Cody Jarvis currently serves with a large Metropolitan Police Department S.W.AT. team as an operator and tactical medic. He joined the department in 2008 and started serving with S.W.A.T. in 2017. He has a variety of police experience to include assignments with patrol and various investigative units. His current role is focused on serving high-risk warrants and training other officers inside the department.
In addition to his multiple training courses and certifications, he is also a certified EMT-B and TECC instructor for the NAEMT. Cody has taught Tactical Emergency Casualty Care to multiple law enforcement agencies.
Cody has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a minor in Criminal Justice from Tennessee Tech University.
Christopher Anzaldua
Christopher Anzaldua brings a plethora of real-life experience to the Defend Systems medical training team. He served in the U.S. Army from 1995-2004, then transitioned to the U.S. Army National Guard from 2004-2008 before finalizing his military career back in the U.S. Army from 2008-2019. While in the Army and National Guard, he served as a firearms instructor, an intelligence analyst, a combat medic, a flight medic, a flight paramedic, and finished his career at the Rascon School of Combat Medicine as a ARC Program Director/Team Lead.
Since serving in the military, Chris has continued to work as a paramedic and is currently a Life Flight paramedic, a S.W.A.T medic and an EMS paramedic in the greater Nashville area.
Chris holds a number of pertinent certifications, including Nationally Registered Paramedic Certification, Tennessee Registered Critical Care Paramedic Certification, Tactical Paramedic Certification, NAEMT Tactical Emergency Casualty Care Instructor, Prehospital Trauma Life Support Certification, Advanced Life Support Certification/Instructor, Pediatric Advanced Life Support Certification/Instructor, Basic Life Support Certification/Instructor, as well as many others.
Throughout Chris’ illustrious career, he has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, unparalleled expertise, and unwavering dedication to his craft, making him an excellent addition to our Instructor team!
Brian Gregory
Brian is a highly experienced and skilled instructor with more than 25 years of law enforcement experience (19 as member of the S.W.AT. team). With multiple instructor certifications, including shoothouse, strategic self-defense and grappling, interior/exterior response to active shooter, rescue task force, he has a wealth of practical knowledge. Brian was one of the lead instructors in CQB for the SWAT team and was utilized by the police academy to lead CQB and active shooter training, ans well as, defensive tactics. Since retiring from law enforcement Brian has become a firearms instructor and has continued to teach active shooter response to private schools and churches.
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