The Fall edition of the OCSEA magazine, The Public Employee Quarterly, has arrived at members' homes! We hope you're enjoying all the member spotlights that celebrate the dedication of Ohio's public employee union members.

That includes Rodney Parker, an OCSEA member with the Ohio Dept. of Public Safety. He is one of 45 Motor Vehicle Inspectors (MVIs) statewide, many of whom have the critical job of inspecting school buses and ensuring the safety of children using school transportation.

Rodney, who is headquartered in southeastern Ohio, is one of three state employees in that area for whom school bus safety is the center of their job. “I inspect about 530 school buses a year,” he said. Every school bus is inspected twice a year, including an annual inspection and a spot inspection, he explained. In total, MVIs statewide inspect more than 19,000 buses twice a year.

A 13-member School Bus Safety Group to help monitor school transportation safety and to review the rules and regulations around school transportation was recently formed by Governor DeWine. This important safety initiative came about after a tragic school bus accident that killed an 11-year-old in Clark County. The group is expected to make recommendations by the end of the year.

Thanks to Rodney, and all our statewide inspectors who keep us safe in so many aspects of our lives. Read more about Rodney and other dedicated OCSEA members at OCSEA.org/PEQ.

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