Mayor makes safety first order of business McCormac takes oath, appoints full-time emergency coordinator BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer Mayor John E. McCormac began his term with appointments meant to make Woodbridge safer. McCormac appointed Walter Hanks as the township's full-time emergency management coordinator and hired John Hagerty as communications director minutes after being sworn in by state Senate President Richard Codey on Nov. 13. "With five major highways, two major rail lines, chemical plants, refineries, and access to water, it's important that the EMC be a full-time position," McCormac said. Hanks, who has worked with the township for eight years and is the township's full-time chief housing inspector and part-time emergency management coordinator, will now work both jobs on a full-time basis. He will continue to make his existing salary of $47,300. McCormac said the EMC's first priority will be to work with Superintendent of Schools Vincent Smith and the school board to assess safety at each and every school building. "I didn't want to wait to move on the issue," said McCormac. "I can't think of anything more important right now than keeping the kids safe." McCormac's initiative comes after Codey announced implementing a school security task force for every municipality statewide in early October after the three school shootings that occurred within days of each other throughout the nation. "I will go over security issues at each of the 28 schools and see what is needed," Hanks said. "Each school has a plan in place already, but it hasn't been revised in a few years." Hanks said the changes depend on if the schools have changed. "Some schools are under construction so we might have to tweak the plans that are in place," said Hanks. "We might change the evacuation routes and make sure everyone knows where everything is in case of an emergency." Hanks hopes the revised plans will be in place by mid-January. "I'll meet with school officials starting next week," he said. "I'm hoping to have visited all the schools by mid-December. It just depends on how much revising we need to do for each school." John Hagerty will serve as the direct line of communication between the mayor's office and the community. Hagerty, who is a former spokesman for the Division of Criminal Justice in the Attorney General's Office and former spokesman for the New Jersey State Police, will earn $80,000, but the salary is not finalized yet. Former Communications Director Larry McCullough will stay on to help Hagerty and write grants.