Carmen Ransom and Rosalio Sanchez are Lorain City Schools' new safety coordinators. January 28, 2022 | Carmen Ransom and Rosalio Sanchez are battle-tested veterans of not just the Army — where they honed their discipline and leadership skills — but also in Lorain City Schools, where their compassion and love for others outranks everything.
When the district elected to expand its Safety and Security Department, Ransom and Sanchez were deemed perfect fits to take on the position of safety coordinator, serving dually as second in command to Director of Safety and Security Reuben Figueroa. Effective December 2021, Ransom and Sanchez jointly work to ensure the district’s safety and security team adequately covers all 14 buildings and more than 6,000 students and 900 staff members that make up Lorain City Schools.
“They have a level of expertise in the district, not only in safety but also in caring for kids and showing that love in our district,” Director Figueroa said. “They know the job and have been here for more than 10 years each, but they also know people. You can teach tactics, protocols, and procedures, but you cannot really teach someone how to genuinely love people and they do it naturally.”
Ransom started as a safety officer with the district in 2005 before a promotion to safety compliance officer in 2016. Before joining the district, Ransom worked as a corrections officer and served eight years in the US Army as a material control and accounting specialist, serving overseas during Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm (The Gulf War.)
Sanchez has 11 years with the district, serving as a safety officer before his recent promotion. In addition, he served for 12 years as a military police officer in the Army National Guard, which included an overseas deployment during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He holds a certification from the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA).
As safety coordinators, their duties include responding to all emergencies district-wide, handling matters with parents, families, and teachers, addressing any safety concerns, supervising safety officers and safety compliance officers, writing and updating policies and procedures as needed, and coordinating with outside agencies to deal with fire, safety, and security drills and procedures as required.
When asked how each felt about their new roles, Ransom and Sanchez had this to say:
“I wanted to be part of the solution, and I wanted to be part of the bigger picture,” Ransom said. “I know there was a need for Director Figueroa to have help in the many jobs he has. I’m here because I wanted to continue to build relationships with students, staff, and the community at large.”
“Being a safety officer and with my experience, I believe I can help match up the safety team’s core values with the district core values, which are kindness and treating kids with respect and care,” Sanchez added. “In this position, we still deal with the students a lot, and I can help the safety team and teach them how to utilize their district support and skills to build a rapport with students. We are all here to teach students and build positive relationships.”
While this promotion takes both out of previously held positions in the district, Director Figueroa said the safety and security team is strengthened by having Sanchez and Ransom in their new roles.
“They are both genuine, strong leaders with an invaluable work ethic,” he said. “They lead. They take the initiative. They are not afraid to ask what they can do for everyone in Lorain City Schools.”