FREE resource - and for more than just pandemics!!!
Sign up for just the top link at:http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/read/index.php?pageid=services_index which summarizes all the other email service links on that page.You might wish to subscribe to the RSOE alerts that are sent to your email inbox (requiring no downloading or going to a specific website - its just delivered to you.)
RSOE EDIS comes from the Hungarian National Association of Radio Distress-Signalling and Infocommunications that sends alerts (mostly as a batch once a day - more often depending on urgency) on things going on around the world. While news sources offer explanation and commentary, RSOE is meant specifically for information dissemination, and always clearly states when something is fact, conjecture, or commentary. Stratfor is great, but is meant specifically as analysis, whereas, when the quakes hit Chile and Haiti, my email started pinging minutes later giving me the heads up that something was going on somewhere (I actually called family in Hawaii to warn of tsunami BEFORE the sirens started going off locally - all because the email came through on my Blackberry.)
A note of warning, RSOE can be a bit overwhelming to your email inbox, averaging 20 or so alerts a day.
They offer real time global maps of their alert system at:
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.phpThey offer a pandemic specific email service that can be subscribed to at:
http://levlista.rsoe.hu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/pandemic-alertEmail inbox headers look like:
RSOE RSOE EDIS: India - Climate Change - 2008.10.20 4:17 AM 13KB
Unread RSOE RSOE EDIS: Indonesia - Flash Flood - 2008.10.20 4:02 AM 10KB
Unread RSOE RSOE EDIS - Situation Update No. 2 : Vietnam - Flash Flood 3:20 AM 9KB
Unread RSOE RSOE EDIS: China - Biological Hazard - 2008.10.20 2:07 AM 9KB
Unread RSOE RSOE EDIS: China - Epidemic Hazard - 2008.10.20 Sun, 10/19/08 9KB
Unread RSOE RSOE EDIS: Venezuela - Power Outage - 2008.10.20 Sun, 10/19/08 10KB
Unread RSOE RSOE EDIS: USA - HAZMAT - 2008.10.20 Sun, 10/19/08 11KB
Unread RSOE RSOE EDIS - Situation Update No. 1 : Australia - Biological Hazard Sun, 10/19/08 9KB
Unread RSOE RSOE EDIS: USA - Vehicle Accident - 2008.10.20 Sun, 10/19/08 8KB
Unread RSOE RSOE EDIS - Situation Update No. 1 : Vietnam - Flash Flood Sun, 10/19/08 9KB
Unread RSOE RSOE EDIS - Situation Update No. 2 : India - Technological Disaster Sun, 10/19/08 10KB
Unread RSOE RSOE EDIS: France - Vehicle Accident - 2008.10.19 Sun, 10/19/08 8KB
Unread RSOE RSOE EDIS: South Africa - Power Outage - 2008.10.19 Sun, 10/19/08 8KB
Unread RSOE RSOE EDIS: Russia - Vehicle Accident - 2008.10.19 Sun, 10/19/08 9KB
Unread RSOE RSOE EDIS - Situation Update No. 1 : India - Technological Disaster Sun, 10/19/08 11KB
Unread RSOE RSOE EDIS: United Kingdom - Fire - 2008.10.19 Sun, 10/19/08 10KB
Unread RSOE RSOE EDIS: China - HAZMAT - 2008.10.19 Sun, 10/19/08 9KB
Unread RSOE RSOE EDIS: India - Technological Disaster - 2008.10.19 Sun, 10/19/08 10KB
Unread RSOE RSOE EDIS: Vietnam - Flash Flood - 2008.10.19 Sun, 10/19/08 8KB
From their "about" page"
Dear Visitors,
Let me introduce our services. The Hungarian National Association of Radio Distress-Signalling and Infocommunications (RSOE) operates Emergency and Disaster Information Service (EDIS) within the frame of its own website which has the objective to monitor and document all the events on the Earth which may cause disaster or emergency. Our service is using the speed and the data spectrum of the internet to gather information. We are monitoring and processing several foreign organisation's data to get quick and certified information.
The EDIS website operated together by the General-Directorate of National Disaster Management (OKF) and RSOE, in co-operation with the Crisis Management Centre of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, provides useful information regarding emergency situations and their prevention. Extraordinary events happening in Hungary, Europe and other areas of the World are being monitored in 24 hours per day. All events processed by RSOE EDIS are displayed near real time - for the sake of international compatibility - according to the CAP protocol on a secure website (
https://hisz.rsoe.hu). To ensure clear transparency all events are categorized separately in the RSS,XML, CAP directory (e.g. earthquake, fire, flood, landslide, nuclear event, tornado, vulcano). RSOE EDIS also contributes in dissemination of the CAP protocol in Hungary.
Beside the official information, with the help of special programs nearly 9-1000 internet press publications will be monitored and the publication containing predefined keywords will be processed. However, these "news" cannot be considered as official and reliable information, but many times we have learnt critical information from the internet press. We are screening the incoming information and storing in a central database sorted by category.
Zsolt Boszormenyi - Head of RSOE EDIS
The site developer and manager:
Zsolt B??sz??rm?Šnyi
Head of RSOE EDIS
zsolt.boszormenyi@rsoe.hu