KCFR Battalion Chief Justin Capaul - From Fire Calls to Sales Calls | CR #48

Meet Justin Capal, a 4th generation firefighter and Battalion Chief at Kootenai County Fire and Rescue. With 25 years in the fire service and a software company he runs on the side, Justin lives the dual life that defines Confident Risks.Justin comes from a family of firefighters going back four generations. His great-grandpa was the first paid fireman in the area, and his grandpa, dad, uncle, and cousins all served. Now he carries that legacy forward at KCFR, recently moving from a line battalion to the training division.Justin is also VP of Sales at Battalion 3 Public Safety Solutions, a software company that handles firefighter scheduling and incident command management. After using the software for years, he and a partner bought in. Today, several hundred departments across the United States and into Canada use their programs.In this conversation, Justin opens up about what it takes to run a business while serving full time. He talks about wearing every hat, from answering the phone to running demos to dabbling in code. He gets honest about the learning curve of building something, where you think it will be easy and then discover one mistake after another. Software rollouts and constant improvement teach you that nothing is ever as simple as it looks from the outside.One of the most powerful lessons in this episode is that you are not truly an expert until you get outside your own bubble. It is easy to rely on the relationships around you, but real growth comes from exposure, feedback, and connection beyond your comfort zone.Justin and his team have also been instrumental in helping build better fire training props by sharing their expertise. The lesson goes both ways. When experts speak, you listen. That back and forth is how great products and strong relationships get built.Whether you are in the fire service or building something of your own, Justin's story is a masterclass in balancing dedication, growth, and the courage to wear multiple hats.Watch or listen to the full episode on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Until next time, stay sharp and stay resilient.