The director may appoint general deputy wardens as an adjunct to the personnel regularly employed in the forest fire control program. They shall aid in forest fire prevention and shall take immediate action to control any unauthorized forest fires, employ assistance when required and notify the nearest forest ranger or town forest fire warden with dispatch. Such general deputy wardens and those they employ may receive the prevailing local fire fighting wages for the period so engaged. [PL 1979, c. 545, §3 (NEW).]