Since that fateful day inAugust, 2005 when hur - ricane Katrina hit Louisiana, the tragic stories of those so personally affected continue to be publicized. The disaster is a reminder about how emergency preparedness can make the difference between life and death.

Prompted by that, NATA has been working on a pilot emergency response communication plan, NERC, that will assist those most at risk in the North Amityville community. Beginning with early notification of an impending storm, NATA will use its resources to contact and relay information between individuals and their families in the community, and their relatives located on Long Island, New York State or in other parts of the country prior to and during severe storm conditions.

The mission is simple: To bring the town's emergency response plan down to each neighborhood, block by block, by identifying the needs, location, mobility, support and resources of the at-risk inhabitants such as the elderly,physically impaired, mentally challenged and youth.

Already, NATA has had several meetings with Belinda Pagdanganan, Suffolk's first Homeland Security Director. It has also applied for and received a New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services grant to allow it to develop and test its emergency response plan.

Anyone who would like to assist in this pilot program or learn more about it can call NATA at 631- 789-8869.