From Community Firefighter to FedEx Express Pilot

The ability to confront problems and put out fires is a prerequisite for any good leader, but F/O Hunter Chumbley (FedEx Express) has specialized training and experience in these areas. Long before he stepped onto an airline flight deck, Chumbley served as a professional firefighter and paramedic, working in Pierce County, Wash., just southeast of Tacoma.

Early Life and Fulfilling New Aspirations

The son of a U.S. Air Force servicemember, Chumbley was born in England, traveled extensively, and grew up in distant locations like Guam and Turkey. “I flew in a Boeing C-17 Globemaster at age six, thinking that I wanted to pursue a career as a pilot,” he remarked. However, graduating from high school with less than exceptional grades, he decided to try a different vocation and became a volunteer firefighter in 2000.

“Firefighting is a lot of on-the-job training, but I did attend the state fire academy in North Bend, Wash.,” Chumbley noted.

He soon received instruction to become an emergency medical technician and earned a bachelor’s degree from Central Washington University. Chumbley majored in emergency medical services paramedicine, attending the school because it offered the only program of its kind in Washington state and is one of just 13 nationwide. He then joined East Pierce Fire and Rescue, where he worked for 17 years.

A Career of Service, Volunteerism, and Charity

As an East Pierce firefighter, Chumbley served his district in a host of ways.

“I did everything from working as a shift rep to acting as the political action chair for the East Pierce Professional Firefighters Local 3520, International Association of Firefighters (IAFF). I was even the local central labor council rep for a period,” he said.

However, Chumbley’s spirit of volunteerism didn’t stop there.

“For 13 years, I worked with the Burn Children Recovery Foundation, helping out as a camp counselor for children from all over the United States with burn injuries, supporting regional burn centers, and advocating for burn survivors and their families,” he said.

Chumbley also raised money to help the firefighters’ Coats for Kids, Operation Warm, a charitable organization that provides new coats to children in need. He could be seen with other firefighters at busy Pierce County intersections, soliciting charitable donations on behalf of the IAFF’s partnership with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Fill-the-Boot campaign. In addition, he raised money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Tireless Efforts of Community Support

“I actually started our nonprofit at the fire department and was chair for a short period while the committee was stood up,” Chumbley observed. As part of that effort, he and other firefighters built a wheelchair ramp for an area man who was having difficulty getting in and out of his house.

Chumbley did all this while responding to 911 calls to extinguish home and business fires and provide medical-emergency support. In addition, he served as a member of the East Pierce Fire and Rescue’s water rescue team. And these efforts didn’t go unnoticed.

“I received the Mike Roberts Goodwill Award in 2014, 2015, and 2016,” commented Chumbley. This accolade is presented annually to the local firefighter who has done the most to promote goodwill in the community. He also received the City of Sumner First Citizen Award in 2015, which celebrates community leadership, volunteerism, and public service.

The Skies Kept Calling

But Chumbley couldn’t deny the urge to take to the skies. He began flying for pleasure in 2014 and soon flight instructed on the side. “Three years later, I decided it was time to pull the trigger,” he remarked. “I had all my hours and went to work as a pilot for Horizon Air,” where he flew for four years. During a brief portion of that time, he took a leave of absence to work with Orting Valley Fire and Rescue, also near Tacoma. However, in December 2021, he accepted a job offer with FedEx Express and has been with the airline ever since.

Although the B-777 pilot maintains the many friendships he developed within the firefighting community and his paramedic certification, Chumbley clearly has his career sights set on flying. Accordingly, he’s redirected much of his volunteer energy toward ALPA and his fellow pilots. He currently serves as the FedEx Local Executive Council 79 secretary-treasurer and as chair of the Association’s new Elevate Committee, which falls under the Professional Development Group.