The Commissioner or the Commissioner’s designee may authorize as many forest rangers, deputy rangers, or emergency workers as the Commissioner deems necessary and available. For purposes of this Article, the following definitions apply:

(1)        “Deputy ranger” means a highly trained emergency worker hired on a temporary basis to respond to a given emergency or condition. A deputy ranger shall be sworn or affirmed to the terms of “General Oath” as provided in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 11-11 A deputy ranger shall have the powers and duties as enumerated in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 106-899

(2)        “Emergency worker” means a person who is not an employee of the North Carolina Forest Service but is an individual serving on a temporary basis in case of fire, storm, snow, earthquake, flood, or other similar emergency. Except for a deputy ranger, an emergency worker is not sworn or affirmed to the terms of “General Oath” provided in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 11-11

(3)        “Forest ranger” means an employee of the North Carolina Forest Service who has been sworn or affirmed to the terms of “General Oath” provided in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 11-11 A forest ranger shall have the powers and duties as enumerated in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 106-898 and N.C. Gen. Stat. § 106-899 ?(1915, c. 243, s. 2; C.S., s. 6134; 1925, c. 106, s. 1; c. 122, s. 22; 1927, c. 150, s. 1; 1935, c. 178, s. 1; 1951, c. 575; 1973, c. 1262, s. 28; 1977, c. 771, s. 4; 1989, c. 727, s. 61; 2011-145, ss. 13.25(p), (q); 2017-108, s. 12(a).)