Canada has finally put DART on 48 -hours notice

[HEyHEY]

And recalled it's members. Bought friggin time...more later.

[aquart]

1. What is DART?

I never know what's going on.

[Not_Giving_Up]

2. OK, Glad I'm not the only one who doesn't know

[Spazito]

6. Here is a link explaining D.A.R.T. which stands for...

Disaster Assistance Response Team.

http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/Newsroom/view_news_e.asp?id=301

The DART is a military organization designed to deploy rapidly anywhere in the world to crises ranging from natural disasters to complex humanitarian emergencies. The DART:

responds rapidly, in conjunction with national and regional governments and non-governmental agencies, to stabilize the primary effects of an emergency or disaster;

provides potable water and medical aid to help prevent the rapid onset of secondary effects of a disaster; and

gains time for the deployment of national and international humanitarian aid to facilitate long-term recovery in a disaster-struck community.

Mission capabilities
Comprising about 200 CF personnel ready to deploy quickly to conduct emergency relief operations for up to 40 days, the DART can bridge the gap until members of the international community arrive to provide long-term help. The DART is designed to deploy only to permissive environments — that is, locations where it will not encounter any organized resistance or threat.

For international missions, the DART can be activated by a request from either an individual country or from the United Nations (UN). Regardless of the source of the request, the final decision to deploy the DART rests with the Canadian government, based on advice from Foreign Affairs Canada, the Department of National Defence, and the Canadian International Development Agency.

In a UN operation, the DART is required to co-ordinate its work with the UN-appointed humanitarian co-ordinator. The DART also co-operates with international agencies on site to achieve the maximum positive impact.

The DART serves four critical needs in emergencies, namely:

primary medical care;

production of safe drinking water;

a limited specialist engineer capability; and

a command and control structure that allows for effective communications between the DART, the host nation, and the other agencies involved in the relief effort, including international 0rganizations, non-governmental organizations and UN aid agencies.

Many domestic and international organizations are committed full-time to the relief of pain and suffering. The DART complements these organizations; it does not compete with them.

more

[LibertyorDeath]

3. The biggest natural disaster in modern history

& somewhere in the machinery of the Canadian Government someone took their finger out of their ass & voiced the opinion that maybe "we should
send the Disaster Assistance Response Team. DUH!

Happy New Year HEyHEY
:toast:

[miss_kitty]

4. Canada's Crack Rescue Team-Still in Canada

I saw on The National last night.

Shit. If I can't LIVE in Canada, at least I can watch some of their telly.

[Not_Giving_Up]

5. OK...Thanks!

I was clueless for a minute there!

[Maple]

7. DART

This is a crisis happening half way around the world, in an area that is at the most remote, and at the worst a world away.

Canada's response to crisis like this cannot be based on, 'policy by CNN reports.'

Yes we have the DART. It is a system that has to be shipped by about 10 to 12 large cargo planes. Where do you send it, can it land, and where is it needed the most, will the local sovereign national governments allow you to land in or on their land? Is it cheaper and quicker to send bottled water from the region, or is it better to load a plane from Canada with bottled water? How do you deal with the inevitable looters, marauders, and profiteers who will certainly be present to profit off the plight of their own nationals? Do we need to send an armed contingent to guard the shipments, and who does that? The locals?

Like the Americans, we have sent people to review the situation and report back to their commanders what is needed. Just as the NGO's are doing, and just like we did for D-Day, WW 1, WW2, Korea, or any other major or minor military operation. Even the Red River flood.

The best people to assess the situation are the professionals, not professional desk jockeys like our politicians.

The last words you want to hear in a crisis is, 'I am with the Opposition Party and I am here to help you.'

How do you prepare for something like this, and all of the other possible events that can occur? The USA, is the only superpower with the military positioned around the world to respond, and it even was not in the area. The Pacific Command sent a recon unit to find out what was needed, before sailing the entire Pacific Fleet into the area.

[HEyHEY]

8. DART can produce 100,000 litres of fresh water per day

That alone is a reason to send them .
If we don't use them for this...what CAN we use them for. I know ALl of their capabilites aren't needed....but some are...that's why they're being sent. You don't send a crack team over AFTER 12 people have wandered over and determined if they're neede. may as well chagne the name to slug

[aquart]

9. It's such a comfort,

listening to Canadians argue about their government.

Kind of a belated Christmas present, in fact.

Over 11 countries hit, where would you send the DART? Does it matter that roads have been destroyed? And airfields? Not to mention those missing landmines.

God, I hope help arrives before the survivors are dead.

[Maple]

10. The immediate stuff

was already sent...water purification and so on. Now we're filling requests...a forensic team Thailand wanted and other things