SCOTLAND’S firefighters will be “properly rewarded” if they agree to an overhaul of the role which will see them respond to marauding terror attacks, medical emergencies and major storms.

Chairman of the board of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Pat Watters ruled out a four-year pay deal saying it is “difficult to put a figure on” the “value” of the “restructured job”.

However he offered reassurances that firefighters will be “recompensed” for taking on additional responsibilities. There are around 3600 full-time and 3000 retained firefighters in Scotland.

Watters is due to get around the table with the Fire Brigades Union on Friday to begin a series of fortnightly pay talks.

The FBU recently recommended that members reject a deal that offered firefighters a two per cent basic salary increase from July 2017, then a further three per cent in April 2018.

It has been reported that a four-year pay deal would be the reward for backing changes but Watters dismissed that.

He said: “We’re talking about entering into discussions. What we’re not talking about is a four-year pay deal. We’re talking about a restructuring of the job. We will then sit down with our colleagues and see what the value of that restructured job is. We’re asking firefighters to take on more responsibility. It’s difficult to put a figure on it. It’s for discussion but I am absolutely convinced that what we’re asking firefighters to do, firefighters can do. I am also very, very convinced is what they need is a new package to see them properly rewarded for doing it.”

Watters is a veteran politician and seasoned negotiator who was president of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities before he was appointed as chair the SFRS board.

He said the FBU has been “absolutely supportive” of the proposed reforms but issued a thinly-veiled threat ahead of negotiations.

He said: “We either reform or we cut. And cutting to me is not an option. The safety of the people of Scotland is far, far too important for us to be cutting the service they depend on and need. Therefore reform is what we need and we need support to get that reform off the ground.”

Denise Christie, treasurer for the Fire Brigade Union Scotland, said last week: “Any proposals to change a firefighters’ role-map and link it to pay must be addressed by the general secretary and the FBU’s executive council.”

But Watters has since been given the green light by the general secretary of the FBU Matt Wrack to negotiate a pay deal with shop stewards in Scotland.

He said: “I received a letter from Matt saying he was happy for those discussion to take place in Scotland. I have written to him and said I really appreciate the clarification. We will now be starting very rapidly to have those discussion in Scotland. We will be meeting fortnightly so that we can get these discussions on the way. We are hoping to come to a conclusion as quickly as possible.

“Firefighters are absolutely committed to what they do. I think we should not take advantage of that commitment of our staff. We need to make sure they are properly recompensed for the job they do. We’re asking them to do more and we need to look at how we reward them for doing it.

“We don’t carry reserves. I don’t have a pot of money for doing that. I’m asking our staff to come with us on this journey. To see some changes in how they operate and what they do. For that to generate additional saving that we can reinvest into improving the package that they have got and the protection they offer, and asking for government to support us through this transition.”

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: “Four years after the creation of the single service firefighters are still paid different rates for doing the same job. They [SFRS] have to resolve that before there are any discussions about what happens next. I suspect they [SFRS] want to wrap it up with wholesale change to our terms and conditions but that is not acceptable.”