The governing body of any city, town, or county is hereby authorized to create and establish a joint law-enforcement officers’ auxiliary force with one or more cities, towns, or counties. Each participating city, town, or county shall, by resolution or ordinance, establish the joint auxiliary police force. The resolution or ordinance shall specify whether the members of the joint auxiliary police force shall be volunteers or shall be paid. Members shall be appointed by the respective governmental units and shall take the oath required for regular police officers. The joint auxiliary force may be called into active service at any time by the mayor or chief of police of the participating town or city or the chairman of the board of commissioners or sheriff of a participating county. Members of the joint auxiliary force, while undergoing official training and while on active duty shall be members of the unit which called the auxiliary force into active duty and shall be entitled to all powers, privileges and immunities afforded by law to regularly employed law-enforcement officers of that unit including benefits under the Workers’ Compensation Act. Members of the joint auxiliary force shall not be considered as public officers within the meaning of the North Carolina Constitution. Such members shall be dressed in the uniform prescribed by such auxiliary force at any time such members or member exercises any of the duties or authority herein provided for. (1971, c. 607; c. 896, s. 4; 1979, c. 714, s. 2.)