(a) The emergency medical services councils shall advise the commissioner on area-wide planning and coordination of agencies for emergency medical services for each region and shall provide continuous evaluation of emergency medical services for their respective geographic areas. A regional emergency medical services coordinator, in consultation with the commissioner, shall assist the emergency medical services council for the respective region in carrying out the duties prescribed in subsection (b) of this section. As directed by the commissioner, the regional emergency medical services coordinator for each region shall facilitate the work of each respective emergency medical services council including, but not limited to, representing the Department of Public Health at any Council of Regional Presidents meetings.

(b) Each emergency medical services council shall develop and revise every five years a plan for the delivery of emergency medical services in its area, using a format established by the Office of Emergency Medical Services. Each council shall submit an annual update for each regional plan to the Office of Emergency Medical Services detailing accomplishments made toward plan implementation. Such plan shall include an evaluation of the current effectiveness of emergency medical services and detail the needs for the future, and shall contain specific goals for the delivery of emergency medical services within their respective geographic areas, a time frame for achievement of such goals, cost data for the development of such goals, and performance standards for the evaluation of such goals. Special emphasis in such plan shall be placed upon coordinating the existing services into a comprehensive system. Such plan shall contain provisions for, but shall not be limited to, the following: (1) Clearly defined geographic regions to be serviced by each emergency medical service organization including cooperative arrangements with other organizations, personnel and backup services; (2) an adequate number of trained personnel for staffing of ambulances, communications facilities and hospital emergency rooms, with emphasis on former military personnel trained in allied health fields; (3) a communications system that includes a central dispatch center, two-way radio communication between the ambulance and the receiving hospital and a universal emergency telephone number; and (4) a public education program that stresses the need for adequate training in basic lifesaving techniques and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Such plan shall be submitted to the Commissioner of Public Health no later than June thirtieth each year the plan is due.