Deputy Fire Chief Mark Peterson has been appointed interim chief of the Renton Fire and Emergency Services Department, effective last Friday.

Peterson, 52, will replace Chief David Daniels, who resigned in early December to assume the position of chief for Woodinville Fire & Life Safety District.

“Mark is a dedicated and highly respected member of this department. I’m very pleased that he will be joining our management team,” said Mayor Denis Law in making the appointment.

Given Peterson’s experience and long tenure with the fire department, Law said he hasn’t decided whether he’ll do a nationwide search for a new fire chief. Peterson would be in the running, he said.

“I am going to work with Mark for awhile and give it some time and then make a decision,” he said.

It’s “a great thing” to hire from within, Law said, and only go outside the ranks if you’re looking for someone with a particular expertise. Peterson is smart and has served in every capacity in the fire department, Law said.

“We don’t have to rush into doing anything,” Law said.

Peterson, who has spent his entire 30-year career in Renton, said he’s interested in the permanent post. He said that many times, “a chief has to be a good fit with the mayor.”

“I think I could lead this organization to good things,” he said.

But, he said, “it’s not about me. It’s about the organization.”

He was deeply involved in development of the fire department’s 2010 business plan. He’ll work in particular on further integrating the fire department’s operations with other city departments. He wants to ensure the department is getting the most efficient use of its resources.

As fire chief of Fire District 40 and Fire District 25, he wants to maintain “a good relationship” with the elected commissioners of those districts, which contract with

Renton for fire services.

Peterson is a long-time resident of east Renton, where he lives with his wife Kelly and their two daughters.

Peterson began his career with the Renton Fire & Emergency Services Department in 1980. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in management from Bellevue University and has risen through the ranks from firefighter to his current position of deputy chief.

Over the course of his career he has provided leadership in different divisions of the fire department, including fire suppression, support services, training, fire prevention, public information as well as the direct oversight of response operations.

Peterson said he is “honored to have been chosen to serve in this new capacity.”