By The Numbers

DIAL is a hub of activity, creating intelligence reports every day for partners and stakeholders across Florida and the region.

8

Faculty and Staff

Decades of real world experience guide DIAL activities.

26

Students

Student Analysts and Interns are the DIAL backbone

12

Stakeholders

Local, State, Federal, and NGO partners receive products daily.

19+

Products

Reports, products, alerts delivered every week


DIAL is Real World Experience

Founded in 2022, DIAL functions as a cross between an EOC and a Fusion Center - and there is something new each week. DIAL Interns and Analysts work with EMHS faculty and staff to set daily objectives, collect data and information, create intelligence products, and distribute them to interested and affected stakeholders. Students gain knowledge and experience in intelligence collection and writing, often working on short deadlines and under pressure from partner agencies. There are no two-week deadlines in DIAL - products often go out the door within minutes or hours of requests.

This workflow and rapid pace - all managed by undergraduate and graduate students - impresses on Interns and Analysts the types of work and conditions expected in law enforcement, the intelligence community, and emergency management.

Using a variety of tools and systems, the DIAL team reviews and processes a deluge of data each day - always focused on 'what do my stakeholders NEED to know?' Our products have been utilized in EOCs, Florida's Fusion Centers, and local law enforcement and public safety offices to understand what's happening, where is it happening, why is it happening now, and what comes next?

DIAL also activates to support the State of Florida on request. Embedded with ESF-14 (SERT Public Information), DIAL tracks resources, community needs, rumors, and official information to help the State Emergency Response Team make informed decisions during a disaster or incident. Students work in the Bellamy building, but have been activated in the State EOC for major events - a unique opportunity that goes well beyond a tour or visit.

DIAL has a history of supporting the State of Florida in disasters. In 2012, EMHS founded a Voluntary Operations Support Group (FSU VOST) to do some of the first social media monitoring and open source intelligence work in the state. Techniques and procedures created by FSU VOST became the basis of state and local emergency management social media engagement across the state.

The Disciplines

DIAL practices open-source intelligence (OSINT) and geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) every day, from planning through collection and analysis, to distribution of products.

OSINT
Intelligence produced from publicly available information that is collected, exploited, and disseminated in a timely manner to an appropriate audience for the purpose of addressing a specific intelligence requirement.
GEOINT
"The exploitation and analysis of imagery and geospatial information to describe, assess, and visually depict physical features and geographically referenced activities on the earth. Geospatial intelligence consists of imagery, imagery intelligence, and geospatial information." (Statutory definition codified in Title 10 of the U.S. Code, Section 467 (5)).

Stakeholders

DIAL is academic - students will learn valuable skills outside the classroom - but also practical. The lab partners with local, state, and Federal agencies to collect, analyze, and distribute real-world products focused on real-world problems.


The Team

The DIAL team consists of EMHS faculty and staff and undergraduate and graduate students from across the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy and the wider University. Students can engage in DIAL in a variety of ways, including as a Directed Individual Study (for class credit), as a volunteer Intern, and as an OPS employee - the DIAL Analysts. Competition for Analyst positions is robust, as these students run the lab on a daily basis.

Faculty and Staff who work as part of DIAL on a daily basis include: Rob McDaniel, David Merrick, Jarrett Broder, Sierra Perna, and Chantelle Tuffigo.


Get Involved

Are you interested in joining DIAL? First semester students come in as DIS students or Interns (volunteers). Once you have a semester's experience, you can compete for one of the paid Analyst positions. Candidates for Intern or Analyst should have a working knowledge of the intelligence process (by taking some of our classes), and be willing to work 10-20 hours per week.

Students who would like to learn more about the opportunity to work in DIAL should contact Sierra Perna, our Student Outreach Coordinator. If you would like to apply for an internship in DIAL, please complete the form below. A staff member will contact you after reviewing your application.

If the form requires a password, then applications are currently closed. In general, applications are open at the beginning and end of each semester. Follow EMHS on social media for more specific application dates.

DIAL Internship Application

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