Northwest Defense Academy

Northwest Defense Academy delivers state-mandated training for security professionals and firearms instruction in Central Point and Medford, Oregon. Their course catalog covers everything from entry-level security certification to advanced refresher training—all taught by instructors with real field experience.

The Basic Certification for Armed Security Professionals spans 24 hours across three days. Two days of classroom instruction cover the material required by Oregon's Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST). The third day moves to the range for hands-on skills practice and the state accuracy requalification shoot.

Requirements: Participants must be 21+ with a GED, high school diploma, or higher credential.

The Armed Refresher Course is a one-day recertification option (4 hours classroom + range time). It covers both the material needed to maintain armed security professional status and best practices from instructor field experience.

Basic Certification for Unarmed Security Professionals takes two 8-hour classroom days. NWDA provides all training materials and covers Oregon DPSST requirements plus practical application insights from working instructors.

The Unarmed Refresher Course condenses recertification into 4 hours, delivering state-mandated content plus best practices for optimizing unarmed security professional performance.

The Introduction to Handguns course runs a full day (9 AM–5 PM) and covers:

• •Safe gun handling and firearm maintenance
• •Optic and sight considerations
• •Handgun fundamentals and marksmanship
• •Ammunition and firearm storage
• •Individual coaching on the range

This class meets minimum requirements for an Oregon Concealed Handgun License. Participants get hands-on instruction designed to make them safe and effective handgun owners.

NWDA hosts a monthly open-format range day called Hungry to Train: Gun Club. The all-day session (typically 9 AM–5 PM or similar) gathers beginners and experienced shooters in one place. Instructors provide full support throughout the day on shooting fundamentals, tactical safety considerations, and skills development. No prerequisites—just show up hungry to train.

• •Phone: 541-500-3338
• •Email: [email protected]
• •Web: nwdefenseacademy.com (includes online registration, course schedule, and gear shop)

Instructors bring field experience into every classroom. Rather than just reading from a DPSST manual, they share real-world best practices. The Introduction to Handguns course pairs classroom fundamentals with individual range coaching—not group shooting. Monthly gun club sessions create community for all skill levels, not just beginners or advanced shooters.

They're explicit about safety standards from day one and maintain consistent instruction quality across both security and civilian firearms courses.