(A)(1) Not later than ninety days after the effective date of this amendment, the state board of emergency medical, fire, and transportation services shall develop guidelines for the assessment, triage, and transport to hospitals of stroke patients by emergency medical service personnel. In doing so, the board shall consult with a diverse group of hospital leaders around this state, including those that represent large health systems, hospitals not affiliated with a large health system, hospitals located in rural communities, as well as comprehensive stroke centers, primary stroke centers, and acute stroke ready hospitals recognized as such by the department of health pursuant to section 3727.13 of the Revised Code. The board shall make the guidelines available on the internet web site maintained by the board. The board shall review the guidelines periodically and update them as needed. If the board updates the guidelines, the board shall make the updated versions available on the web site it maintains. The board may distribute the guidelines and their updated versions in any other manner acceptable to the board.

(2) Based on the guidelines developed under division (A)(1) of this section and not later than one hundred eighty days after the effective date of this amendment, the medical director or cooperating physician advisory board of each emergency medical service organization shall establish written protocols for the assessment, treatment, and transport to hospitals of stroke patients by emergency medical service personnel. When establishing protocols, the medical director or cooperating physician advisory board shall consult with one or more local hospitals.

(B)(1) The medical director or cooperating physician advisory board of each emergency medical service organization shall provide copies of its protocols annually to the state board of emergency medical, fire, and transportation services; the department of health; and the regional director or regional advisory board appointed under section 4765.05 of the Revised Code for the organization’s emergency medical services region.

(2) The state board of emergency medical, fire, and transportation services shall make available to the public copies of the protocols submitted under division (B)(1) of this section.

(C) The medical director or cooperating physician advisory board of each emergency medical service organization shall provide periodically to its emergency medical service personnel training in the assessment and treatment of stroke patients. The training shall address the assessment of stroke severity.

(D) The immunity from civil liability granted by section 4765.49 of the Revised Code applies to actions taken under this section.