09/20/2026
The best!!!!
For the first time on Confident Risks, we’ve got TWO guests at the table.
Steve Jones, recently promoted to Division Chief of Training at the City of Coeur d'Alene Fire Department after nearly 25 years, and Justin Capaul, recently promoted to Assistant Chief at Kootenai County Fire & Rescue and a 4th-generation firefighter. Together they co-own 2nd Due Training.
If you know Taylor'd, you know these two. Both men have 25 years of experience and are the owners of 2nd Due Training, and they’ve been consulting on our props, doing product reviews, and taking our props station to station to train other departments.
We went deep on:
The departments everyone forgets: 2nd Due started in 2014, and their mission became clear fast - small volunteer and combination departments get the same fires as the big cities, they just show up with fewer people. Their most popular class, Shorthanded Tactics, was literally sketched out on a bar napkin with Chief Jeff Welch.
Why they almost shut it down: When the original instructors started retiring, 2nd Due was headed for the end. Now they see it as an avenue for the next generation - they own the trailers, tools, and insurance so younger instructors can step in as lead while they coach from the back.
Backstep is back: After being shut down by COVID, the Backstep Symposium returned this year with 60 students. Every dollar of proceeds went to the JW Memorial Foundation
How Taylor'd props got better: From the first walkthrough at District 4 to installing and training on a prop on the island of Molokai for Maui County Fire Department, their hands-on feedback has shaped training props now in hundreds of departments across the country. Ideas like the VES window came straight from firefighters on the drill ground.
Whether you're a firefighter, an instructor, or thinking about what legacy you leave behind, this one is a masterclass in mentorship.
Watch / Listen now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pCKwOfC1Co
Full episode also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Who's a mentor who gave you a reason to keep going? Drop them in the comments. 👇
