FAQS
"Shielding You From Whatever May Come"
We receive a wide range of questions, and have compiled our most frequent ones here. If you cannot find your question below, please feel free to contact us directly! We update this page when we notice a new trend in questions.
Location
Instructors
Payment
Deposits
Refunds
Discounts
Want To Get Paid For Taking A Course?
Clients
What Can I Expect?
What About My Information?
Do You Offer Female-Only Courses?
What Is The Age Limit For Your Courses?
What Are The Benefits Of Taking A Course In My Home?
What Happened To Your First Aid Courses?
What's Going On With the Illinois Concealed Carry?
Are There Any Prerequisites?
Location
The headquarters of Suburban Assured Survival is in Brookfield, Wisconsin, just outside Milwaukee, and specializes in providing excellent services designed to shield you and your loved ones from a wide range of disasters and other emergencies.
We are different from most other training companies in that we usually come to you, on your schedule, at a location of your choosing. So the location of your class is most often at your home, office, or other suitable location you provide. We travel wherever you have a need, and are proud to have clients from Alaska to Florida.
Instructors
Our instructors are highly trained in some of the latest methods and technologies based on years of scientific research and studies, and certified by national organizations such as the National Rifle Association (NRA), United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA), and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In addition, our instructors are constant students who learn from a wide variety of sources to not only keep their own skills honed, but to gain exposure to the newest techniques and ideas. We do this to serve your needs in the best way we possibly can.
Payment
We currently accept payments of cash or credit card at the start of your course. We can accept a check, money order, or PayPal payment, provided it is posted at least 10 business days prior to the class. If you'd like a receipt or invoice for your records or tax purposes, we will happily provide you with one.
Deposits
We require an immediate non-refundable deposit for some of our courses. This is due in large part to our expenses for your materials before we even show up. Don't worry, though! Your deposit is applied toward the total cost of the course.
Refunds
We do not typically grant refunds, although we often can roll your payment or deposit over one time to another course, or the same course on a different date if you notify us ahead of time. We may not be able to accommodate your changes if you make them less than 48 hours before your scheduled class. If you don't notify us in advance that you wish to reschedule or change your course, and our instructor isn't able to contact you on-site, you will forfeit your full payment.
Discounts
We offer a variety of discounts, from reduced tuition for large groups to family plans. Our “Three And Free” for our concealed carry certification courses is our most popular discount. If you get at least three people (in addition to you) to take the course at your location, you take it for free! We are also proud to offer discounts for most of our classes for current or retired military and public servants (such as fire, police, and EMS) as a thanks for your service. You must provide proof of service, but if you mention it when inquiring about one of our courses, we can tell you if we offer the discount and how much it will be. We are currently working on a system where you can buy several of our most important classes as a package deal. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months!
Want to get paid for taking a course?
If you get at least ten people to register and pay for any course at your location, in addition to taking the class for free, we will give you a check for a portion of the proceeds!
Clients
Our clients come from all walks of life, from all across the United States and the world, with a wide variety of budgets and needs. From asteroids to zombies (A-Z), there are a lot of fears in this world. But the only one that matters to us, is yours. Whatever worries keep you up at night, or you want to prepare for, we can customize options to work just for you.
What Can I Expect?
If you have requested information about one of our courses, you'll receive an e-mail or call with the information within a few business days. When you're ready to take a course, we'll send you an application which you can print off and either scan and e-mail the completed form to us, or mail it to our address printed on the form.
From there the fun begins! If your course includes any electronic books or materials, they'll arrive in your inbox shortly after we approve your application so you can start reviewing them as soon as you choose. Our commitment to your security begins before you meet us, so we'll also e-mail a brief resume of your instructor with a recent photo so you know ahead of time who to expect.
On the day of your course, in most cases you don't have to do anything! Just follow your normal routine and we'll show up at your house or office with all the materials you'll need at the appointed time. All we usually require is an electrical outlet and a safe place for us to meet. If you're in one our public classes held off-site, you'll need to arrange to show up about fifteen minutes early at the address we provide so we can get you checked in.
What about my information?
Your good reputation exists partially in the information you provide online, and keeping that information private is very important. Your safety and security is of paramount importance to us. We need some personal information when you take a course from us, either because it's required by law or by certifying organizations, but we do not rent, sell, or give it away. Additionally, if you provide information to another organization through us, such as signing up for an NRA membership, we'll never capture or retain it for our own records.
More than just your personal data, we don't voluntarily release which courses you have taken from us, any relevant scores, or recommendations we've made, unless you direct us to. Part of the way we shield you is by maintaining your anonymity.
Do you offer female-only classes?
Most of our courses are arranged by you, at your house, so if you would like to have several of your female friends or family members take the course with you in your home, we heartily endorse it. We've been scheduled for team get-togethers, Girl's Night Out, and bridal showers. We understand that sometimes being around unknown men can be intimidating or embarrassing. However, we typically don't set up our public classes and limit it to women for one reason – women are just as capable as men! Some schools or instructors insist on training women very differently, while we take an equal opportunity and realistic approach.
What is the age limit for your courses?
We get this question a lot. We typically request that the children be old enough to follow directions, and mature enough for the subject matter. For firearms safety we've had children as young as two years old, and trained young teenagers in firearms use. Other classes, such as the Refuse to be a Victim course, typically runs four hours and we find that very young children have trouble sitting still for that long. Ultimately, it's up to you and them to decide what age is appropriate for the courses.
What are the benefits of taking a class in my home?
We've found there are many benefits, which is why we are proud to be one of the first training companies in the nation to offer such a wide selection of live training in your home.
First of all, training at home works! That's why so many companies have developed DVD courses and sell them for hundreds or thousands of dollars each. The downside to this method is twofold: you can't ask questions or get clarification if you don't understand something, and it's impossible to offer a custom designed lesson based around you or your location.
Secondly, most of our staff have families, and we know what it's like trying to balance work, kids, and the need to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Whether you have children at home during the day but still want to get training, or just can't get to a class on the instructor's schedule at the instructor's location, we understand. We can accommodate everyone from stay-at-home parents to workaholics, students to the elderly.
Third, studies have shown you're at your most comfortable and therefore more open to learning in a familiar setting, like where you live. There's no pressure from a large group of strangers in a strange place, and you can learn at your own pace.
Fourth, when you take a course, such as home defense, dry practice, or emergency planning, you learn not only the applicable skills but how to utilize them in your own home.
Finally, it's just another way we can serve you and your needs best. Superior training at your house, on your schedule.
What happened to your first aid courses?
We used to offer certification courses in subjects such as First Aid and CPR. However, due to some internal changes, combined with an increasing politicization of a certifying agency, we have chosen to no longer offer CPR, First Aid, AED, or Babysitting courses. However, we do have a couple partners that we can recommend to you if you're looking for certification. We still plan to occasionally offer combined CCW/Red Cross certification courses after we nail down a few details.
What Going On With the Illinois Concealed Carry?
Ever since Illinois passed the Firearms Concealed Carry Act (FCCA), various organizations and regulating bodies have been amending or interpreting it in various ways. In other words, it's typical Illinois politics. Unfortunately, this means that while we have certified instructors and an approved curriculum for Illinois concealed carry, the Illinois state police are only currently approving FCCL applications for Illinois residents and those states with very similar laws (currently only Hawaii, South Carolina, and Virginia). If you are from one of these states, we are happy to arrange to give you the approved 16 hour course. This means if you're from an adjoining state and were hoping to be able to legally carry in/through Illinois (such as Wisconsin, Indiana, etc), you're going to have to wait until the ISP resolves the issues. They claimed they would have it sorted by mid-April, but we're more than a month past their deadline so it's obvious it'll take much longer. We feel it's irresponsible to collect your money for training when we know your application will be rejected at this time. As soon as the problems are resolved, we'll be ready once again to conduct courses.
Are There Any Prerequisites?
Unlike other training academies, we don't require you to commit to taking two or three intro courses from us to get to the stuff you really want or need. Almost all of our courses can be taken regardless of your skill level or any other classes taken (from us or other sources). We do recommend, however, that if you are taking a firearms course (such as the Wisconsin Concealed Carry certification) you take one that's appropriate to your skill level. This is only so you'll get the best training out of the class. We do offer some advanced courses which are usually by request or invitation only, so the odds are if you're taking one of these courses you've already met any prerequisites.