An effective response to a school, campus, or community emergency requires a thoughtful and coordinated interagency plan to preserve and protect life, as those with both experience and expertise can confirm. Schools and institutions of higher education (IHEs) can prepare for these emergencies by developing an emergency operations plan (EOP). Collaboration is considered a planning basic or principle because it ensures that key community partners and members of the whole school/campus community contribute their expertise to the EOP and ensure that it is comprehensive. This fact sheet presents strategies and tips for initiating and managing the core and ad-hoc planning teams, as well as strengthening partnerships for effective EOP development.