ACCESSIBILITY OF TRAINING.

(a) The department shall identify all individuals and public or private agencies and institutions that are or may be engaged in emergency medical services training in each delivery area.

(b) A delivery area plan must include provisions for encouraging emergency medical services training so as to reduce the cost of training to emergency medical services providers and to make training more accessible to low population or remote areas.

(c) A governmental entity that sponsors or wishes to sponsor an emergency medical services provider may request the department to provide emergency medical services training for emergency care attendants at times and places that are convenient for the provider's personnel, if the training is not available locally.

(d) A governmental entity or nongovernmental organization that sponsors or wishes to sponsor an emergency medical services provider or first responder organization in a rural or underserved area may request the department to provide or facilitate the provision of initial training for emergency care attendants, if the training is not available locally. The department shall ensure that the training is provided. The department shall provide the training without charge, or contract with qualified instructors to provide the training without charge, to students who agree to perform emergency care attendant services for at least one year with the local emergency medical services provider or first responder organization. The training must be provided at times and places that are convenient to the students. The department shall require that at least three students are scheduled to take any class offered under this subsection.

(e) To facilitate all levels of emergency medical services training, the department shall consult with and solicit comment from emergency medical services providers, first responder organizations, persons who provide emergency medical services training, and other entities interested in emergency medical services training programs.