New York City Fire Captain Sean Newman was well into his thesis research in 2008 when terrorists struck in Mumbai, India.   In what became known as the 26/11 attacks, Islamic terrorists invaded India, some using small inflatable sea boats, and carried out almost three days of mayhem targeting two hotels, a hospital and seven other public buildings with gunfire and explosives. The plot resulted in 164 deaths and wounded approximately 300. While the attackers used traditional weapons, an undetermined number of victims died from smoke inhalation.   The event shifted the way homeland security professionals view attacks as well as prompting a change in Newman’s thesis topic. His thesis, “Braving the Swarm: Lowering Anticipated Group Bias in Integrated Fire/Police Units Facing Paramilitary Terrorism,” traced how fire was used as a weapon in the Mumbai and of other historic terrorist attacks, how integrated public safety teams are needed to combat such attacks and what impediments may hinder such divergent teams from optimally functioning.  Newman concluded that fire services need to be part of terrorism response through “swarm units” that enlist police and fire personnel.   1)     Newman’s research sought to identify gaps in terrorism response. The research centered on four case studies – Mumbai in 2008; an attack on a school in the Russian city of Beslan in 2004; the 1998 high school shootings in Columbine, Colo., and the lesser event in 1995 known as the Fashion Mart Fire in New York. Common to all those events is a plan to use explosives and using fire as a destructive weapon.   In considering “swarm” units, Neman examined the theory of organizational bias, a concept taught in the Psychology of Terrorism course, to gauge whether such combined units could mesh. Moreover, he drew from biology.   “I found relevance in the natural world looking at bees and ants function in self-organized systems,” Newman said. “I found relevance in swarming methods in nature and not just human counseling.”   Newman intended to not only address collaboration, but to expand on that concept and look at integration, he said. Moreover, he wanted his research to be applicable to the greater homeland security community, not just fire and emergency personnel.   While the rivalry between the New York City fire and police departments is near mythical, Newman notes that organizational bias can potentially impede many agencies that work in related areas, such as the FBI and the CIA, for example.   “This (organizational bias) is a universal phenomenon where I tighten focus to emergency responders,” Newman said.     2)     Newman said the research heightened his awareness on how fire can be used as a terrorist weapon.   “We’re most concerned with how we secure fire suppression systems in the event of Mumbai attack,” he said. “We anticipate the terrorist would adapt and possibly sabotage pipe and sprinkler systems. We want to find way to mitigate that destruction, so people trapped on upper floors can be protected by sprinklers or standpipe systems.”   3) During the time since Newman’s thesis, New York police and fire departments have began a sort of conversation regarding joint terrorism fighting. The departments conducted joint drills in 2009. Also, an HBO documentary of the film was screened during a symposium at Columbia University that was attended by law enforcement, fire personnel, members of the military and academics.    “We’re in preliminary talks with law enforcement to find ways to realize, not necessarily integrate, but to better realize collaboration,” Newman said. “The conversation is the start of the solution.”