The search for Altoona's first, full-time fire chief is over. The Altoona Police and Fire Commission said it made a decision Wednesday night, but the new chief's name won't be released until Thursday morning. A total of 12 people applied for the position. The commission spent Wednesday interviewing three finalists: David Daken, Chad Peterson, and Mark Schwartz. All three candidates are from the Chippewa Valley area. The Altoona City Council included the full-time fire chief position in its 2017 budget because of an increase in fire and medical calls the past few years driven by Altoona's growth.