A city's pick for its first full-time fire chief has passed on the job. In a statement Thursday afternoon, Altoona City Administrator Mike Golat said that Chad Peterson turned down the offer "after serious consideration." The statement said that Peterson said he made the decision because of family obligations. Peterson has been working for the Township Fire Department near Eau Claire for 27 years. Peterson, along with 11 others, applied for the position. The commission spent Wednesday interviewing three finalists: Peterson, David Daken, and Mark Schwartz. All three 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. The statement said that the Altoona Police and Fire Commission will soon come up with a plan to continue with recruiting and hiring a candidate for the fire chief position.