(a) Auxiliary police officers shall not be members of the regular police department of the municipality. Auxiliary police officers shall not supplement members of the regular police department of any municipality in the performance of their assigned and normal duties, except as otherwise provided in this Code. Auxiliary police officers shall only be assigned to perform the following duties in a municipality: (i) to aid or direct traffic within the municipality, (ii) to aid in control of natural or man made disasters, and (iii) to aid in case of civil disorder as directed by the chief of police. When it is impractical for members of the regular police department to perform those normal and regular police duties, however, the chief of police of the regular police department may assign auxiliary police officers to perform those normal and regular police duties. Identification symbols worn by auxiliary police officers shall be different and distinct from those used by members of the regular police department. Auxiliary police officers shall at all times during the performance of their duties be subject to the direction and control of the chief of police of the municipality. Auxiliary police officers shall not carry firearms, except with the permission of the chief of police and while in uniform and in the performance of their duties. Auxiliary police officers, when on duty, shall also be conservators of the peace and shall have the powers specified in Section 3.1-15-25.
     (b) Auxiliary police officers, before entering upon any of their duties, shall receive a course of training in the use of weapons and other police procedures appropriate for the exercise of the powers conferred upon them under this Code. The training and course of study shall be determined and provided by the corporate authorities of each municipality employing auxiliary police officers. Before being permitted to carry a firearm, however, an auxiliary police officer must have the same course of training as required of peace officers under Section 2 of the Peace Officer and Probation Officer Firearm Training Act. The municipal authorities may require that all auxiliary police officers be residents of the municipality served by them. Before the appointment of an auxiliary police officer, the person’s fingerprints shall be taken, and no person shall be appointed as an auxiliary police officer if that person has been convicted of a felony or other crime involving moral turpitude.
     (c) The Line of Duty Compensation Act shall be applicable to auxiliary police officers upon their death in the line of duty described in this Code.