Guard Training Center
Guard Training Center (Public Safety Institute) is a California-licensed vocational training provider delivering BSIS-approved security guard, firearms, and multi-county CCW certification courses to individual consumers across three Southern California locations since 2005.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersCommerce, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Guard Training Center does
Guard Training Center, operating under the legal entity Public Safety Institute, is a California-based, state-licensed vocational training provider specializing in security officer and firearms certification courses. Founded in 2005, the company delivers BSIS-approved training programs covering Guard Card certification, Powers to Arrest, Use of Force, Exposed Firearms permits, Baton permits, Less Lethal certification (pepper spray, taser, tactical flashlight), and Certified Firearms Officer (CFO) packages. It also offers multi-county CCW (Concealed Carry Weapon) initial and renewal courses approved by the Los Angeles County (LASD), Riverside County (RSD), and Kern County (KCSO) sheriff departments, plus NRA-certified firearms instructor training.
The company's product portfolio is built around bundled course packages priced between $125 and $475, delivered through instructor-led in-person classes at three physical training centers (Los Angeles, Riverside, Bakersfield) with one online CCW offering. Underlying technology consists of standard commercial platforms — Odoo for event registration and Teachable for course hosting — rather than proprietary systems. The business is fundamentally a regulated, labor-intensive service operation where instructor certifications and government approvals, not software, constitute the core assets.
Guard Training Center generates revenue exclusively through one-time course fees paid by individual consumers, with no subscription, enterprise, or B2B contracts disclosed. Its customer base spans three personas: aspiring security officers seeking state-mandated BSIS certification, career security professionals pursuing advanced credentials, and civilian concealed carry permit applicants. The company has trained over 20,000 students cumulatively since inception, with go-to-market executed through direct-to-consumer website enrollment, organic search, and instructor personal branding. No external funding, acquisitions, or ownership changes have been disclosed, indicating an independent, founder-operated small business.
Guard Training Center firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Guard Training Center
- Legal name
- Public Safety Institute
- Website
- https://guardtrainingcenter.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Guard Training Center (Public Safety Institute) is a California-licensed vocational training provider delivering BSIS-approved security guard, firearms, and multi-county CCW certification courses to individual consumers across three Southern California locations since 2005.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Guard Training Center industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Security Training & Certification Services
- NAICS
- Technical and Trade Schools (6115)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Security Officer (Unarmed) Training & Certification (BPAKAOAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Armed Security & Firearms Training & Qualification (BPAKAOAB), Firearms, Range Safety & Less-Lethal Weapons Training (EDAOAMAN), Defensive Tactics, Use-of-Force & De-escalation Training (EDAOAMAM)
Keywords
Where Guard Training Center is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Commerce
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Guard Training Center business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Security Guard Training Courses: One-time course fees for security guard certification programs including Guard Card training, Powers to Arrest, and Use of Force courses. Revenue generated through upfront course bundle purchases.
- Firearms Training Programs: Revenue from BSIS-approved firearms certification courses, exposed firearms permits, and Certified Firearms Officer packages. One-time fees per course bundle.
- CCW (Concealed Carry Weapon) Training: Fees for CCW initial and renewal courses approved for Los Angeles, Riverside, and Kern counties. Includes both online and in-person training options.
- Instructor Certification Training: NRA-certified instructor training programs enabling individuals to become certified firearms instructors and launch their own training businesses.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Security Officer Academy Bundle |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | California Guard Card Training |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | BSIS Exposed Firearms Training |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Less Lethal Certification Package |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Certified Firearms Officer with Guard Card |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | CCW Renewal Course |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Guard Training Center product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Guard Training Center (operating as Public Safety Institute) is a California state-licensed and county-approved training provider that delivers BSIS-certified security guard, firearms, baton, less-lethal, and concealed carry weapon (CCW) courses. It sells individual classes and bundled certification packages directly to consumers via its website, with in-person instruction across three training centers in Los Angeles, Riverside, and Bakersfield.
Product overview
Public Safety Institute is a multi-location training provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of state-licensed security and firearms training programs across California. The portfolio consists of core certification bundles (Security Officer Academy 5-Course Bundle, CFO with Guard Card 6-Course Bundle, Firearms Training 3-Course Bundle), individual certification courses (Guard Card, Less Lethal Certification, Baton Permit), CCW programs (Initial and Renewal courses approved for Los Angeles, Riverside, and Kern counties), and instructor certification training. Training is delivered at three physical locations (Los Angeles, Riverside, Bakersfield) plus online options, with courses ranging from $125 to $475 for individual programs and bundled packages providing cost savings for comprehensive training paths.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Security Officer Academy
Quantifiable outcome
- Students can become fully certified and job-ready in days rather than months
Companies that use Guard Training Center
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Guard Training Center technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Guard Training Center partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Guard Training Center competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Sig Sauer Academy: Firearms manufacturer-affiliated training facility offering a broad catalog of pistol, rifle, and CCW courses. Comparable in firearms training depth but more advanced/tactical in focus and not California-regulated-security-specific.
- Gunsite Academy: Long-established premium firearms training facility offering defensive pistol, rifle, and instructor courses. Overlaps with Public Safety Institute's instructor-certification and defensive-pistol curriculum at a higher-end, more remote-resort format.
- Smith & Wesson Academy: Manufacturer-run firearms training program offering CCW, defensive pistol, and instructor courses. Comparable in firearms training curriculum and instructor certification, anchored to a major firearms brand.
- Lexipol (PoliceOne Academy): Broader incumbent serving law enforcement, fire, and security with online training, policies, and certification. Overlaps in security officer continuing education and policy-driven training but at a much larger scale and across many verticals.
Direct peers
- Front Sight Firearms Training Institute: Civilian-focused firearms training resort model offering multi-day handgun, shotgun, and CCW courses. Comparable in terms of instructor-led, multi-course civilian certification pathways, though nationally rather than California-anchored.
- United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA): National CCW training and education membership organization. Offers concealed-carry permit courses across multiple states with similar student demographic (career and civilian permit-seekers), making it the closest comparable to Public Safety Institute's multi-county CCW line.
- National Rifle Association (NRA) Training: Operates the NRA Instructor Certification program that Public Safety Institute delivers, and runs its own firearms training courses nationally. Direct overlap in firearms instructor certification and curriculum delivery.
Others
- International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors (IALEFI): Professional association certifying firearms instructors for law enforcement and security audiences. Indirect peer — provides upstream certification and curriculum standards that govern programs like Public Safety Institute's firearms/instructor training.
- NSSF (National Shooting Sports Foundation): Industry trade association supporting firearms training, retail, and range facilities. Indirect peer that shapes curriculum, certification standards, and student demand for programs like Public Safety Institute's firearms offerings.
Emerging players
- Range USA: Multi-state firearms training facility chain offering CCW and basic firearms courses at retail-shooting-range venues. Comparable multi-location firearms training delivery model, though newer and not California-BSIS-specific.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Guard Training Center social profiles
Digital presenceGuard Training Center compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Guard Training Center financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Guard Training Center leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Guard Training Center funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Guard Training Center M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Guard Training Center
What does Guard Training Center do?
Guard Training Center (operating as Public Safety Institute) is a California state-licensed and county-approved training provider that delivers BSIS-certified security guard, firearms, baton, less-lethal, and concealed carry weapon (CCW) courses. It sells individual classes and bundled certification packages directly to consumers via its website, with in-person instruction across three training centers in Los Angeles, Riverside, and Bakersfield.
Is Guard Training Center a public or private company?
Guard Training Center is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Guard Training Center founded?
Guard Training Center was founded in 2005. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Guard Training Center based?
Guard Training Center is headquartered in Commerce, United States, in the North America region.
How does Guard Training Center make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Security Guard Training Courses are the primary driver. The others are firearms Training Programs, CCW (Concealed Carry Weapon) Training and instructor Certification Training.
Who are Guard Training Center's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Sig Sauer Academy, Gunsite Academy, Smith & Wesson Academy and Lexipol (PoliceOne Academy). Direct peers are Front Sight Firearms Training Institute, United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) and National Rifle Association (NRA) Training. Others are International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors (IALEFI) and NSSF (National Shooting Sports Foundation). Range USA is listed as an emerging player.
Does Guard Training Center have an API?
No public API is recorded for Guard Training Center.
What industry is Guard Training Center in?
Guard Training Center's product category is Security Training & Certification Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAKAOAA, General Security Officer (Unarmed) Training & Certification, with a secondary code of BPAKAOAB, Armed Security & Firearms Training & Qualification. Its NAICS code is 6115 and its SIC code is 8200.