IABTI Region IV

01/06/2026

We are incredibly saddened to hear that on Saturday, January 3, 2026, Master Sergeant David DeFord passed away unexpectedly. David leaves behind his wife and two children.
David served as a Technical Investigator and Certified Bomb Technician for the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office and played a vital role in the agency's Training Division.

Please take a moment and visit the DeFord family's GoFundMe page to help support David's family in their extraordinary time of need.

On Saturday, January 3, 2026, Master Sergeant David DeFord passed away unexpe… Ashley Albert needs your support for Honoring Master Sgt. David DeFord’s Legacy

12/25/2025

We want to wish all of our members, partners, and friends a very Merry Christmas. This time of year always reminds us how thankful we are for the hard-working bomb techs and public safety professionals across our region.

Whether you’re celebrating at home, on call, or out serving your communities, we hope you have a safe and enjoyable holiday season. Thank you for everything you do.

Stay safe, enjoy the break when you can, and Merry Christmas from IABTI Region IV!

11/27/2025

This Thanksgiving, International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators (IABTI) Region IV wants to take a moment to express our gratitude to the community we serve.

We are thankful for the trust you place in us, for the support you show our members, and for the countless ways we come together to make our world a safer, stronger place.

May your day be filled with warmth, laughter, and the company of those you hold dear. From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.

11/25/2025

***JOINT TRAINING BRINGS TOGETHER MILITARY EOD AND PUBLIC SAFETY BOMB TECHS***

International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators (IABTI) Region IV partnered with The 753rd EOD at Camp Dawson, WV to host the West Virginia State Police Bomb Squad, Kanawha County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad, and the FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation SABT’s based out of Pittsburgh for three days of joint training seeking to improve interoperability and reinforce lessons learned from Raven’s Challenge earlier this year.

Day 1 was a demo range day where the participants were broken into teams (the same teams they would run scenarios the following two days with) and given a variety of materials and devices to either access or disrupt explosively. Some of the accessing events were turned into a competition to spark a friendly rivalry and help break the ice between the different entities.

Days 2 and 3 were scenario based lanes. The scenarios were a Downed-UAS platform with a dropped improvised munition, an HME lab (mimicking a Peroxide-based lab) with a booby-trapped pallet of final product, a Prepper group’s compound that was heavily booby-trapped with a variety of victim-operated IED’s, and a Hostage Scenario with two distinct PBIED’s and an area denial device.

11/11/2025

You didn't just wear a uniform. You made a decision most people never have to make, to put something bigger than yourself first.

That decision has echoes. It ripples through your family, your community, and everyone who benefits from the freedoms you protected.

Today isn't about thank-yous that feel hollow. It's about recognition. Real recognition.

You trained when it was hard. You deployed when it mattered. You came home different than when you left — and you kept moving forward anyway.

From all of us at Region IV, we see you. We know that service doesn't end when the uniform comes off. Many of you are still serving in law enforcement, in public safety, in bomb squads and EOD units across this region.

To our veteran members and every veteran out there: Your commitment shaped who you became. And who you became makes our communities safer every single day.

We don't just honor your past today. We're grateful you're still here, still leading, still serving.

International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators (IABTI)

10/21/2025

No robots were injured in the making of this video.

10/21/2025

The last two days of the IABTI Region IV In-Service Training were action-packed! 💥

We spent a full day with our technology partners, including an impromptu pan shot from an ICOR Technology Inc robot using the Disablement Technologies and Consulting LLC Gemini Disruptor, a real highlight for everyone in attendance (reel to follow soon).

the final day of the training was all about DTC, where students learned the science behind disruptors before heading to the range to put that knowledge (and DTC’s products) to the test.

Special thanks Med-Eng and ICOR Technology Inc for their generous financial support for the event. Also HUGE thanks to all our attendees, instructors, and vendors who made this event such a success. Region IV appreciates your continued support and dedication to advancing bomb technician training. Pendar Technologies, LLC. Mithix Pro, Scanna, Smart Ray Vision, Blasters Tools and Supply, Aerovironment, Novo, and so many more thank you all!

10/15/2025

Day 1 did not disappoint! 💥

The first day of the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators (IABTI) Region IV In-Service Training was packed from start to finish.

We kicked things off with an organizational update from International Director Jason Hodges, followed by our annual business meeting. Then came an incredible Homemade Explosives training led by the one and only Dr. Kirk Yeager , an absolute highlight of the day.

We wrapped things up with a great evening of networking and camaraderie in the hospitality room. Huge thanks from the support from Med-Eng, ICOR Technology Inc, and Blasters Tool and Supply.

If you missed Day 1, you definitely missed out. But don’t worry — there’s more great training ahead this week!

10/13/2025

We are less than 24 hours away from the start of the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators (IABTI) Region IV In-Service! There’s still time for members to register. Visit us at https://www.iabti.org/region-iv/ to book your seat today!

09/16/2025

The International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators (IABTI) Region IV In-Service is coming up on October 14-16, 2025 at Quantico, VA! We have even more technology partners coming to share their equipment for all participants to put their hands on the equipment and see how it works. We invite everyone to visit our friends at AV, Mistral Group, Ideal Products, Rothenbuhler Engineering, Safariland, NOVO Imaging, Blasters Tool and Supply Company, ICOR Technology, SmartRayVision, Pendar Technologies, Vidisco X-ray and more are coming.

We will also have 2 dedicated training days with Dr. Ian B. Vabnick and Kirk Yeager. Visit us at https://www.iabti.org/2025-region-iv-event/ to register today!

09/12/2025

🚨 International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators (IABTI) Region IV — it’s time to lock it in.

October 14–16, we’re bringing together some of the best minds and tools in the business:
✅ A full day with Dr. Kirk Yeager on safe identification and disposal of homemade explosives.
✅ A full day with Dr. Ian Vabnick on disruptor technology.
✅ And a day of training lanes where vendors will put their gear in your hands to test, push, and learn from.

This is the kind of training that builds muscle memory, sharpens judgment, and keeps you one step ahead.

👉 Sign up now: iabti.org/region-iv

09/11/2025

September 11, 2001, will forever be a day we carry in our hearts. We pause to honor the innocent lives lost, the bravery of first responders who ran toward danger and the families who continue to endure unimaginable loss.