Source + trust record
Source checked as of September 18, 2026. Primary authority: EDD WSD19-14 and EDD’s current Active Directives list.
Check result: WSD19-14 remains active California guidance for Emergency Cooperation Agreements. The directive provides a framework for Local Areas to establish mutual-aid arrangements before an emergency, including the sharing of staff, equipment, facilities, services, and reimbursement/documentation expectations. Actual use remains subject to the agreement terms, applicable funding rules, and the circumstances of the emergency. This AI-assisted brief does not receive human legal or compliance review. Official sources control.
WDB decision strip
| STATUS | ACTION | PRIMARY OWNER | CURRENT TIMING | IMPACT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FINAL · ACTIVE | MAINTAIN MUTUAL-AID AGREEMENTS | WDB Director + Fiscal/Operations Leadership | Before an emergency requires cross-area support | Emergency continuity · Mutual aid · Costs · Staffing |
The bottom line
Mutual aid works best when roles, allowable costs, reimbursement, supervision, data access, and liability are agreed before the emergency. Local Boards should keep cooperation agreements usable enough that staff and resources can move across areas without inventing fiscal and operational rules in the middle of a disruption.
Mutual aid works better when Local Boards agree on roles, costs, and reimbursement before an emergency happens
WSD19-14 provides a framework for voluntary Emergency Cooperation Agreements among California Local Workforce Development Areas. The agreements allow Local Boards to support one another during disasters or other workforce emergencies by sharing staff, expertise, facilities, equipment, or other resources while documenting authority and reimbursement expectations in advance.
At a glance
Issued
June 22, 2020
Participation
Voluntary
Use case
Disaster / emergency support
Key control
Reimbursement terms
Executive takeaway
An emergency is a poor time to negotiate basic terms. The directive gives Local Areas a model for pre-authorizing cooperation so neighboring workforce systems can mobilize quickly while preserving fiscal accountability, chain of command, worker safety, liability, and documentation.
What an agreement should settle in advance
- Who can request and authorize assistance.
- What staff, equipment, facilities, or services may be shared.
- Who supervises deployed personnel and how safety is handled.
- Which costs are reimbursable and what documentation is required.
- How travel, overtime, supplies, equipment, and other costs are treated.
- How either party can terminate or modify the arrangement.
Operational value: Emergency cooperation is broader than Rapid Response alone. The agreement can preserve workforce-system continuity when one Local Area’s staff, facilities, technology, or partners are disrupted.
Operational considerations for Local Boards
- Identify neighboring Local Areas with whom mutual assistance would be practical.
- Review the EDD model agreement with fiscal, legal, risk, and program staff.
- Pre-designate staff with authority to request and approve assistance.
- Test how the agreement would work in a realistic disaster scenario.
- Keep the agreement aligned with local emergency-management and continuity-of-operations plans.
Source basis
Primary source: EDD WSD19-14 — Emergency Cooperation Agreements