(a)        Definitions. – The following definitions apply in this section:

(1)        Emergency medical technician. – The term includes an emergency medical technician, an advanced emergency medical technician, and an emergency medical technician-paramedic, as those terms are defined in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 131E-155

(2)        Fire investigator. – The term includes any person who, individually or as part of an investigative team, has the responsibility and authority to determine the origin, cause, or development of a fire or explosion.

(b)        Offense Involving Serious Bodily Injury. – A person is guilty of a Class E felony if the person commits a felony under Article 15 of Chapter 14 of the N.C. Gen. Stat. and a firefighter, law enforcement officer, fire investigator, or emergency medical technician suffers serious bodily injury while discharging or attempting to discharge official duties on the property, or proximate to the property, that is the subject of the firefighter’s, law enforcement officer’s, fire investigator’s, or emergency medical technician’s discharge or attempt to discharge his or her respective duties.

(c)        Offense Involving Serious Injury. – A person is guilty of a Class F felony if the person commits a felony under Article 15 of Chapter 14 of the N.C. Gen. Stat. and a firefighter, law enforcement officer, fire investigator, or emergency medical technician suffers serious injury while discharging or attempting to discharge official duties on the property, or proximate to the property, that is the subject of the firefighter’s, law enforcement officer’s, fire investigator’s, or emergency medical technician’s discharge or attempt to discharge his or her respective duties. ?(2003-392, s. 3(a); 2018-31, s. 2; 2022-8, s. 2.)