Deb Collins-(Lincoln, Neb.)- Retired Nebraska State Patrol Captain Rod Getting has been honored with the “Roger Goad Memorial Award”, during the 40th annual International Training Conference (ITC) of the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators (IABTI) held June 4-8 in Hershey, PA.
A Captain in the Field Services Division, Getting retired from the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) in December 2009 after more than 25 years of service. Captain Getting spent 20 years as a Hazardous Devices Technician (Bomb Technician) with the agency. During his service as a Hazardous Devices Technician (HDT), Captain Getting worked as an active HDT, commanded the NSP Bomb Squad, was an Assistant Instructor for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and worked with the ATF/IABTI Peer Support program. Captain Getting was the recipient of two Meritorious Services Awards and the Nebraska State Patrol Honorable Service Award for injuries sustained in the line of duty.
In March 1997, Getting along with two other NSP HDT’s and an FBI Special Agent Bomb Technician were preparing to destroy old, deteriorated blasting caps when the caps exploded. The explosion which occurred near Grand Island injured all four men, with Getting sustaining the most severe, life threatening injuries.
At the time of his retirement Getting said, “What we learned that day has helped to train countless hazardous devices technicians around the country in the handling of deteriorated and abandoned explosives.”
The Roger Goad Memorial Award may be presented annually to a member of IABTI who has done the most to further the aims and goals of the IABTI or who, by their actions, has brought great credit to the profession and, thereby, to IABTI. The award is given in honor of Captain Roger Goad, an explosive officer with the Metropolitan Police, London, England, who was tragically killed in London, during August 1975, while attempting to disarm an improvised explosive device.