In the town of Beslan located in North Ossetia, Russia on September 1, 2004 School number one experienced one of their most devastating terror attacks imaginable. The day was planned to begin with festivities to mark a new year also known as the Day of Knowledge. The celebrations came to an immediate halt as a terrorist group, later discovered to contain Ingush and Chechen militants stormed the school. The 3 day siege left a devastating impact on the Russians as well as the entire world who then questioned their own vulnerability. America who had been increasing security measures since 2001 now needed to re-evaluate the school security system. Following the separation of the Soviet Union a Muslim group located in the Caucus Mountains started an independence movement. Resisting Russian rule, this group has been responsible for many terror attacks including, bombings, suicide bombings, sieges and the killing of innocent people. (Mcevers 2006) The group is well known for violent tactics and having absolutely no regard for human life including their own. The extreme measures taken over the years have shown to be true especially at School number one in Beslan. At approximately 9:00 AM almost 1,200 individuals at the celebration were forced into the school by masked armed militants. Immediately upon entering they began killing a group of boys while wiring the gymnasium area with explosives. Children were used as human shields to cover exposed windows and more boys who may have posed a threat were murdered. In the midst of the onset of the chaos fifty people were able to escape the terror as the school was overrun. The school gym was used as the holding room for the hostages where they were given strict orders to abide by or be executed instantly. Negotiations we not successful leading into the second day and the estimated five thousand relatives outside of the school became unruly and agitated. Inside the school the captives were becoming ill from lack of water and extreme heat inside of the gym. It was during the second day that the militants released a small number of women and babies along with a note demanding independence for Chechnya, however the Russian government did not publicize this information as well as hiding the exact numbers of those involved. The government has been seriously scrutinized for the way in which they minimized the catastrophic events taken place. (Volkov 2004) It was on day three that bodies were allowed to be removed when an explosion, believed to be accidental occurred. The explosion was followed by tremendous amounts of gunfire and the storming of the school by security forces. The explosion caused panic and some hostages began to flee as soldiers along with civilians returned gunfire. Most of the terrorists died in the confusion along with innocent victims who were attempting to escape the scene. The main priority at this point was to rescue the victims, but simultaneously the citizens hindered the mission. They created a lack of organization for the security teams and put everyone in danger. They created an output for the terrorists to escape as they now blended in with the look of the civilian volunteers. (Giduck 2005) A terror attack as devastating as in Russia should to be used as a learning mechanism for the entire world, especially America. America is a target for the Jihadist movement and it will continue well into the future as it has been in the past. The American school system needs to be protected because the chance of a school becoming a target is such a great threat. The Department of Homeland Security was implemented with the mission to provide safety, security and resilience against terrorism within America’s homeland. It was after the unfortunate events on September 11, 2001 that the resilience of the nation became a major priority. Through the Department of Homeland security, coordinated efforts have been established with federal, state, local and private entities to plan, prevent, prepare and recover from a tragedy. The types of emergencies that are covered not only include terror attacks, but natural disasters as well. Within the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA also bases its core values on emergency management using the National Incident Management System. NIMS allows for the availability of a strategic plan incorporating many agencies collaboratively in order for them to function and approach an emergency in an effective manner. NIMS works with the National response framework, which includes entire communities. If all citizens incorporate the framework into their daily lives the preparation will assist them when an emergency occurs and during the recovery phase. The United States Department of Education immediately began working on safety and security measures through an in-depth analysis of the Beslan incident. The first lesson learned was to take any and all suspicious activity as well as reports seriously. The government in Beslan did receive a warning of an incident, however continued their first day of school as planned. It was at that point that emergency plans in The United States began to be thoroughly reviewed. According to the U.S. Department of Education short and long term goals immediately went into effect. On a larger level The Incident Command System needs to be effective, because it can and will be utilized for an emergency. The Incident Command System provides an organized structure with many resources involved. Most agencies can not deal with occurrences alone, which is why the Incident Command System was developed and will be necessary in the event of a school emergency. The hierarchy of the Incident Command System will balance the needs of any event through the structure and each individual function. Beslan did not have any system in place, which posed a serious organizational issue. Had the Beslan government been organized and controlled the situation the way an Incident Command should, they may not have ended up with devastating results. More importantly a lot has to occur prior to the Incident Command System activation and that depends on the preparedness of the school systems. Individually all schools need to prepare for an event on all levels. The preparations must include terror attacks, active shooter incidents and natural disasters that cannot be avoided. Initially schools must develop a relationship with local law enforcement agencies and create a risk analysis. Most schools would find themselves vulnerable in one aspect or another. The National School Safety Center stresses preparedness for those who occupy the school. Training is the first step for the education system. The training must include the educators, students and the community. It is exceptionally important to inform the parents of the events and keep the public updated. Beslan did not have this open communication to the civilians as they surrounded the school armed and angry. They were misinformed throughout the three days as the media down played the severity of the situation. The government chose not to disclose the actual events and numbers of casualties until the aftermath. The U.S. Department of Education uses the lessons learned from Beslan and other active shooter incidents to prepare American schools. Mental health needs to be priority as staff and students involved need to have immediate access to assistance that will continue well into the recovery phase. The Incident Command System and the National Incident Management System must be put in place as soon as the incident occurs. Without this organized effort in place communication will be delayed and orders can be misconstrued because there will be too many individuals and not just one incident Commander. The Incident Commander may change as agencies arrive on the scene, however it might start out as the Principal and end up the Chief of Police for the respective municipality. Information among the multi-jurisdictional agencies needs to be shared to alleviate any miscommunication. The school will also incorporate a media liaison into the plan. The member of the Incident Command System that contacts the media will also ensure the families and parents are informed, stopping any unnecessary people from swarming the area. A security perimeter can also be established within the plan. It is a smart idea for schools to have a perimeter set up at all times and not just during an emergency. This perimeter will aid in keeping unwanted people from close access. Beslan did not have any type of perimeter prior to or during the incident. It was as if the families and civilians had close to the same access as law enforcement officials. This did not help the situation and in many circumstances during the crisis it created unnecessary tension. It was in January of 2010 that the State of New Jersey instituted mandatory monthly drills for schools while in session. This Law forces schools to train employees through fire drills, School security drills, active shooter drills, evacuation drills, bomb threats and lockdown drills. Holding schools to a standard in which they must provide proof of training will only enhance their ability to be prepared. Emergency responders will be involved in the trainings and the drills needed to be handled in the most serious manner to enforce to the teachers and students the severe circumstances that could occur if not prepared. Our children could face grave danger if the school systems do not take this matter seriously and fall into the thought process of never being susceptible to a terror attack.

References
Center for Strategic and International Studies, (2009).Violence in the north Caucasus. Retrieved from
Human Rights and Security Initiative website: www.csis.org/hrs/
Emergency response and crisis management technical assistance center. Learned From School Crisis and
Emergencies, U.S. Department of Education, 2(6), (2007).
Giduck, J. (2005). Terror at Beslan. (1 ed.). Archangel Group, Inc.
Mcevers, K. (2006). Beslan Timeline: How the school siege unfolded. NPR, Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5740009 School and readiness, homeland security: The role of the schools in a post 9/11 environment. National
School Safety Center, (2010).
Volkov, V. (2004). The Beslan hostage tragedy: The lies of the Putin government and its media. Retrieved
From http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2004/09/puti-s08.html