I recently completed my training at Security & Firearms Training Academy, aka SAFTA, for short, and my instructors were Gunny and JB. It exceeded all my expectations. From the moment I walked in, the staff made me feel welcome and valued. The instructors were not only highly experienced professionals--many with military and law enforcement backgrounds--but also excellent "Military Instructors" who knew how to communicate complex information in a way that was easy to understand and apply in real-world scenarios. Food for thought, if you're a civilian, don't take it personally if they go hard on you, especially on Day 1 (the shocker and expectations), they are not being rude to you. It is just the military way, similar to Basic Military Style, where you're broken down and built back up each day as you learn about Security & Firearms. The curriculum was thorough and well-structured. It covered everything from basic firearm safety and marksmanship to situational awareness, legal use-of-force principles, and de-escalation techniques. What stood out most was the emphasis on responsibility and professionalism. This wasn't just about getting certified; it was about preparing to be a reliable, ethical, and capable security professional if you plan to be an armed or unarmed security professional. The hands-on firearms training was especially impressive. The instructors (Gunny & JB) ensured every student received personalized guidance on the range at Placer Sporting Club, and their attention to safety protocols was top-notch both in class to prep every single student and on the range. Whether you're a complete beginner or have prior experience, the instruction is tailored to help you improve and build confidence. I also appreciated how the academy supported students beyond the classroom. They offered career advice, resume guidance, and even job placement assistance. They are committed to the long-term success of their graduates. The facility itself was clean, organized, and well-equipped with modern training tools and a professional learning environment. Scheduling was flexible, which made it easier for those of us balancing other responsibilities. Overall, I highly recommend SAFTA to anyone serious about entering the security industry or improving their skills. The training I received was not only top-tier but also instilled in me a sense of pride and responsibility in serving and protecting others. Highly recommend for veterans, especially if you just recently completed your active duty contract, and need a steady paycheck that pays well with benefits while you're also going to school using your GI Bill. Thank you, SAFTA team! I will be back for my recertifications and will bring a sweater this time. ;) LOL! read more

Security & Firearms Training Academy - CPR class time. :) - Vocational & Technical School Near Me - North Highlands, California

Very informative with great teaching. I would personally recommend it and would take it again. I took the firearm exposed course.

Steven calaballero is very prejudice, i had a 2 week course and during these weeks i was verbally attacked multiple times, i passed my written exam and the next day passed my caliber testing and today i got in the mail that i failed with a 79%. This is very wrong to try to slow down my career. read more

Why I recommend SAFTA: First and foremost is their professionalism. Their training is second to none. Utilizing real world experience coupled with an in-depth knowledge of the law they bypass the fluff and deliver a training curriculum that will prepare you for all eventualities. Second, their commitment and dedication to providing the highest level of customer service to their students. This exceptional support is what distinguishes them from the bunch . Providing guidance, assistance, and supporting the Guard community with their expertise and knowledge beyond the classroom and into your career they demonstrate the true meaning of professionalism and dedication to service! read more

Great School good instruction. Very good instructor. Will train there again. Very knowledgeable staff

Today on tuesday 2/4/2025 my uncle was discriminated against and personally insulted at their facility by a trainer. My uncle spoke to the trainer the day prior (monday) and gave him an advance notice about his religious observation of 5 daily prayers. He told him he may need to step outside for a few minutes and will be back promptly, to which the trainer agreed. However, today when my uncle asked to step outside to pray, the condescending trainer gave him pushback and ridiculed him by saying "what would you do if you were a surgeon during surgery" to which my uncle responded that this would be a different case as saving someone's life would be an act of worship it self. This really hit the trainers racist nerves and he shouted at my uncle to "go do whatever Bull**it it is that you need to do". Forget UNPROFESSIONAL, this is downright DISCRIMINATORY and INSULTING behavior. If they had an issue with him stepping outside during prayer time then they should have confirmed with him the day prior during their conversation instead of creating a scene and insulting him during class hours. I don't know if management is lax about discrimination and enable their trainers to behave like this and/or if the trainer himself was one of the owners. Either way, my uncle stood up for himself by filing a police complaint immediately on site and I am proud of him for doing so. read more

SHORT VERSION: PROS: KNOWLEDGEABLE and INFORMATIVE CONS: UNPROFESSIONAL and RUDE LONG VERSION: Most of the staff I met were very informative and a pleasure to speak with. One staff member, my lead instructor, Steve caballero was perhaps one of the smartest people I've ever met. In my opinion, I don't think he should be teaching a class. "Gunny", as he likes to be called, has a short temper and will look for any excuse to yell at or berate a student that walks in there. Even if he gets confused about students' questions or concerns he gets very frustrated. Not very becoming of a teacher. Again, very knowledgeable but doesn't belong in a classroom. Gunny will demand respect and not give any. If you can't give any or be quiet, you will be thrown out. Also students shouldn't be allowed to show up in costumes as it can be very distracting for the class. This all boils down to a very knowledgeable and informative classroom environment with an extreme lack of professionalism and respect for students. This is a fairly good school, but there are better ones out there. read more

I just recently went through my Advanced Security Guard Training Course with SAFTA and I am very happy with the course. All of the instructors were knowledgeable and helpful but one in particular I want to mention because of some of the reviews that I have read about them. Gunny is an amazing instructor. He is very knowledgeable and straightforward. When I was having some trouble with firearms he helped me and went over things with me to make sure I was prepared for my gun qual. I truly and wholeheartedly believe that they are the best at what they do. I would and do recommend them to anyone who plans to join this industry as well as anyone who is just looking for refresher courses. read more

Steve Caballero is probably the most well-trained, well-educated, zero-bullshit, straight-to-the-point, clear-cut, conscise firearms and baton trainer in the entire state of California. I cannot speak for his other classes as I have only attended those two, but Steve was able to take individuals who had never fired a gun or held a baton and teach them all the major safety points, as well as take them through comprehensive simulations to understand use of force, in a matter of 8 hours. His masters in Vocational Education certainly shone bright in these classroom settings. I have sent every guard desiring to advance their career over to SAFTA and told them to specifically ask for Steve. He gets the job done, period. When it comes to security and law enforcement, he's the guy you need. To the people leaving comments about "unprofessional or rude," I'm sorry you're soft. This is not an industry for people who can not take blunt answers and have their opinions or statements scrutinized. When you are dealing with firearms or other weapons, it is a very serious matter - they take it very seriously for that reason. If any of the instructors, especially Steve, was "rude" to you, you were likely in the process of making an egregious error or goofing off. In the classroom, that may get you a scolding. If you did it in the real world, with a gun, it would get you a jail cell. It is better to be scolded now than to be arrested later. Oh, and Davis is an old friend of mine. He can rap. That's pretty cool, too. Miss ya bud! read more

Possibly the best customer service I've ever dealt with. They will literally guide you and help you with every little question you have within the security process. Davis and Robert were extremely helpful and was always there to train the class properly. Gunner, well...Gunner is Gunner- take it or leave it lol. But in all honesty, if you can handle and go through his classes with respect and determination, you will see that he is the best instructor you can ever have within the Security Field. Extremely knowledgeable, dedicated, humble, with a slight bit of anger (which makes the class fun). All in all, I think if you want quality teaching, SAFTA is 100% the best place to go to. They give only quality service and quality knowledge within the Security Field. One improvement would be to have better chairs and equipment. read more

Do not support this business. The instructor Marty is completely unprofessional and rude. I walked out after he was rude to some of the other people attending the class. I am happy I did not pay for the class ahead of time. As much as I wanted my gun license, I was not going to pay $200 for unprofessionalism. Three others walked out of the class as well. I found another company in Sacramento extremely professional right down the street. I am posting this on all social media pages and sharing this to everyone. They're not even accredited by the better Business bureau. read more

Great service, and great people over at SAFTA. They've helped me a lot on several different occasions.

Great program! Highly recommended. My lead instructor is a retired USMC Gunny. So if your ego is easily bruised...just check it at the door. Eyes open, mouth shut, follow his instructions and you'll do great and learn what you're there for. Friendly, professional staff. They're there for you every step of the way, including job placement! Do not hesitate. Federico T read more

My happy regards to all the staff at SAFTA for their assistance and participation in training my son, Bryan, to attain his Advanced Security Officer & Guard Certification and Training. He is 25 yrs old and was seeking a career change into a career that would have numerous outlets and avenues for advancement and we found that through SAFTA. Their experience in teaching and advice in the career field has been invaluable.  My son was called in for interviews just 1 day after applying online at two of the local agencies. He was hired immediately by one of those agencies. With his advanced training he became more valuable to that agency when the pandemic began to rise. He is still waiting for his CCW and Exposed Firearm Permit however those are timeframes that are outside of Saftas control and we are content in waiting. Right now my son is putting the "boots to the ground" hours in building up his resume and experience level to make the next move, hopefully, into Armored Car Security.  With that in mind,  thank you very much to all the Staff and owners. You have my recommendation to others wanting this type of training. Thank you all very much!!!!! read more

I use these these guys for my exposed weapon requal. They are great people. Every single one of them know their stuff. I seriously recommend them. Never one issue. read more

I was lucky enough to find these nice folks at SAFTA, and I gotta say it's been a great experience overall. The people at SAFTA aren't just helpful, and knowledgable. Their prices are great for what they offer those who are willing to listen. The instruction is very solid, all basics were covered professionally, and the course instructors have a serious clearly-visible need to engage their students throughout the process. I got more than just the idea that they want you to learn the material well because you're performance as a gaurd reflects on everyone around you to a degree, but I actually felt as though they also want you to be safe in how you do this job because they actually seem to give a hoot about the lives of the people that go there. That concept of customer care went well beyond the class room to services that these people didn't have to provide at all; Including setting up plans for veterans to get their schooling funded from outside resources, friendly reminder calls for free job fairs that they regularly host at their location, answering email requests/questions after buisness hours, and in my case, not just job placement assistance, but when the company I was working for dropped a handful of new hires, they made sure I had more job placement assistance a second time, and even went so far as to ask if I was able to contact the other laid off personnel to see if they would also need help (without asking if those people had received their initial instruction at SAFTA). These lovley, well meaning people work to achieve something rarely found in our world these days, a sense of comrodery and hard work that just blew me away. Thanks so much sherry-ann for helping me navigate this process, and your companies continued support for your vets, you guys better believe I'll be back to do my CCW course in a few months. read more

Took a firearms class here with Jessie and could not be happier with my experience. Extremely friendly staff, very professional, small class size. Was a little out of my way coming from Elk Grove but they were the only place that had a consistent schedule and had classes during the week. On top of that they were cheaper than everyone else. They also have their own private shooting range which is one of the nicest ranges I've been to. Would not hesitate to recommend them. read more

Recently took my Exposed firearms course with them March 23-24th and I absolutely loved it ! Will definitely be back for my baton/taser/pepper spray and CCW training. Gunny is an absolute character and I love every bit of it ... read more

Security & Firearms Training Academy - Vocational & Technical School Near Me - North Highlands, California

Amazing group of instructors ! They really teach you valuable lessons that benefits your career as security . I chose the ASO course and i do not regret one bit at all ! I would highly recommend the ASO course to others ! read more

My boyfriend took his firearm classes from here and successfully received his firearm license. Now he can work as a armed security and get higher pay. He has nothing but good things to say about this site. The instructor was knowledgeable, the classes were up paced, the overall experience for him was good. read more

I took the advanced security training. My experience with this company was amazing from the very start. Every person here are very knowledgeable about their craft. I recommend this place to everyone. You will walk out of every class with a lot more knowledge then expected. I will be returning to here whenever I need to renew or retake anything. Thank you for everything you guys taught me. read more

This training was worth every penny, and then some. Phil, as a retired police officer, and years of training experience, is an excellent instructor; the perfect balance between what the law says, and what it really means. With the adjustment he made to my grip, I only missed scoring on one shot (out of 50, and that by inches at 15 yards). I highly recommend this place, and Phil especially. -Tim read more

Security & Firearms Training Academy - Vocational & Technical School Near Me - North Highlands, California

Best Security Academy! School is professional and clean. All staff members were friendly, nice, and always willing to help. Ken is funny, patient, and easy to understanding the material. Steve was clear, extremely funny, and awesome. Greg was hardcore, down to earth, and a great firearms/baton trainer. Best experience ever. Would definitely do it again if I had too. read more

Best deal in town!!!! 200$ for both exposed and ccw one caliber, one box of ammo is included! Cant beat that! Also the range you shoot at is top of the line the Sacramento Gun Club! Ken and Steve are great! They make you feel very welcome and comfortable. read more

$300 for a level 1,2 and 3 guard card class. You still have to deal with turning in all the paperwork and a live scan, so at the end of the day getting my guard card cost $410. They also include stun gun, pepper spray, tear gas and handcuffing with the one week course to. The course runs from 9 - 5. The instructor, Ken Gossling, was very nice and approachable. He never once made a student feel dumb. He has a lot of experience and stories. The handcuff instructor, Steve Callabrero, was also very knowledgeable. However he demands a lot of authority, so be prepared for that. read more

Fast review - Shop here & see longer review. ----- Long review: When the CEO of a company takes time out of their busy day to address the concerns of the offended, I begin to take notice. This CEO has assured me that my records will be maintained (or at least that is my understanding at the time of this update). That being said I will raise my rating to 4 stars. Why not 5 stars you may ask? keep reading then. I haven't taken any of my classes at this facility, I was under the impression they'd bought my school out; but such appears to be part of a story that I won't get into. I do intend to visit this school in the near future (when I redo CPR which is soon), at that time I will update this again with a more in-depth & complete review. As for the topic of Pat, this was our first meeting. It was a total disaster. However I am a reasonable person, more so when the CEO makes a real effort. From what I have come to understand about Pat by this point, there seems to have just been circumstances beyond what is normal on that day, I won't hold that against him so lets hope the next meeting goes better. I'd like to thank that CEO here & later in person (preferably after the above planned review). I will address my complaint to BSIS after I have taken one class here, but only then. For the reviews sake, I do travel long distances for high quality items, services, etc. This is one such instance. So stay tuned for the next update. read more

Came in this morning to get some pricing for some co-workers. No one was at the desk. I rang the bell on the desk several times, got no response. I could hear people in the back room, but saw no one. After waiting for a response I departed. read more

The professionalism and wealth of knowledge that SAFTA provides is unparalleled. They are unequivocal in their approach and have numerous classes and training seminars designed to help empower people to become self-reliant and able to defend themselves if need arises. I took their CCW course over the span of a weekend and learned so much great information that I kept gleaning over for week's after the course. The instructor, kindly referred to as "Gunny", took as much time as we needed to instruct us in a tactful and skilled manner. We learned so many hands-on techniques, combined with classroom information on what is and is not allowed according to the rule of law. He and all of SAFTA also made sure that we were comfortable (which was great for the ladies in the room) and not intimidated by what some would consider an intimidating course/topic. Overall, I feel exponentially more capable now to be able to defend myself if need arises, and to share with others just how to stay safe in an ever-increasingly dangerous world. I am certain that because of the training I received at SAFTA, I am a more responsible citizen - as are other members of my family who took the course with me. I highly recommend SAFTA for all your training and safety needs. You will learn more than you ever imagined, and have the confidence and empowerment you need to stay safe in your personal and work endeavors. Thank you SAFTA! Sincerely, Matthew Eschrich read more

I had an amazing experience in this academy. They had provided great training and also made me feel like a new member into the SAFTA Family. The staff is amazing very professional and helpful in every aspect of my Security Career. The Academy has such a home feeling, that its comforting. I felt at eased and confident that i am going to succeed after i finish with all my certifications and training. read more

This school is a great resource for all of your security and CCW training needs. Staff is knowledgeable and super helpful. The only resource I use for all of my training needs. read more

I took the Exposed Firearm Permit class. The training was exceptionally well done. The instructors (Steve and JP) are very knowledgeable and run an excellent class. They do a great job of keeping the classroom engaged and setting students up for success in the written and field exams. I read some of the previous reviews that complained about how the class was run, but I think it is necessary to keep the class structured that way. Having an Exposed Firearm Permit and a CCW is a responsibility; if you are unable to handle an instructor correcting you for not paying attention, being unprepared for an exam, or flagging others with a weapon, then having a firearm in the public sphere isn't a responsibility you are ready for. If you were an employer, would you trust a guard who earned their Exposed Firearm Permit in a classroom setting where students could play on their cell phones, nod off, or disappear for long breaks when they should have been learning the intricacies of handling loaded firearms in a tense situation? A school like that wouldn't last very long because there would be no demand for its graduates. SAFTA is run the way it is because they have a brand to protect. They produce high quality graduates who are proficient in handling firearms. If you are interested in earning your Exposed Firearm Permit or CCW this is the training you need; don't settle for less in an attempt to save a few dollars. read more

If I could give more stars, I would! Everyone was extremely knowledgeable and always ready to help! As a woman, taking this course, I was treated with the utmost respect and welcomed with open arms. Definitely recommend to anyone doing firearms or security training if you want a world class education that will open doors for you. They're well known for a reason! read more

This isn't a guard mill. You have to toe the line or you are out. If you are serious about getting some good training then look no further then CSTA. Don't be afraid to ask questions they won't bite......hard. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Tell them Mark sent you they'll know what that means. read more

Great security officer training and staff, they were professional and kept my interest the whole time which is hard to do!

Overpriced and classes are long winded. The instructors structure the classes like you'll be supporting Bruce Willis in the next Die Hard film. A lot of other drama behind this company but that's not for yelp read more

I had a very good experience here and would highly recommend anyone to go here, they will definitely teach you if you don't know shit about guns lmfao and they will gIve you the proper guidelines after you qualify and pass. read more

Very professional! Prepares you for real life situation scenarios and the knowledge of the law. Doctor Caballero teaches everything you need from firing techniques, the laws and using other methods besides a firearm to deescalate a situation. read more

Listen up Yelpers... this group is the pinnacle for firearm training. CCW training was informative, professional and entertaining. If you're thinking of getting your CCW (or renewing your CCW) look no further. Great team, friendly and wildly knowledgeable. That's right.... I said "wildly". Check em out and you'll see why! read more

I went through the advance security training offered by them. I'd recommend this program or any of the courses offered. They setup you up to succeed and don't just teach you the bare minimum and send you on your way. You can see that all of the instructors really care about the work they do. In this line of work the training you have can be life or death and there is nobody I'd trust or recommend with that training other than the instructors at SAFTA. After looking into other places near me and speaking with the people at SAFTA I decided to drive 100 miles there to learn from the best. I just went to my first interview today since completing my training and they were impressed by all the certificates and offered me a job on the spot. Whether you're looking for a new career, looking to gain knowledge to try to get a promotion, or just needing a refresher they're definitely the people to go to. read more

I took my 16 hour CCW course here and I am glad that I did. When I was shopping around for a course, this place compared to others was cheaper. But that is not the only good thing about this place. This class was very informational and was taught by a very experienced instructor: Steve Caballero, ED.D. This guys is a retired Marine who has plenty of experience with working as law enforcement. He takes his job very seriously because he knows he was given the responsibility to train civilians to have a concealed carry licensed. He teaches you when is a right time to draw you weapon and teaches you all the steps that you need to consider before drawing your weapon. And he stated that within the 40 years of working in law enforcement, he only had to draw his weapon twice and had to shoot it only once. So he knows the importance of when it is a right time to draw you weapon. He is very stern but only because he wants to assure that we are all being safe. JC who deals with all the paper work is a nice lady and has awesome customer service. This course is very informational and I recommend this to anyone who has to take the 16 hour course or renewal. I will be back in two years to renew. Thank you SAFTA! read more