DART responded to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that occurred on December 26 , 2004 . The reconnaissance team left for Colombo , Sri Lanka on December 30 , 2004 . A commercial plane carried a reconnaissance crew with representatives from Foreign Affairs Canada ( three ) , Canadian International Development Agency ( two ) , Public Health Agency ( one ) , and DART itself ( six ) . Prime Minister Paul Martin announced his plans to send DART into the region on January 2 , 2005 . Four days later , a plane carrying 150 DART members departed for Ampara , Sri Lanka . On January 8 , 2005 , 50 more members arrived . Sri Lanka suffered tremendously as a result of the earthquake , the Canadian government stated that their relief efforts were to be concentrated there . They set up their main camp in a former sugar factory
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
Disaster Assistance Response Team