Safety is two dimensional - financial and admission.
UAH could be a safety financially w/o hitting the ACT 30 that you would need to get the Presidential and Engineering scholarships at UA. UAH has a chart - so look at that (www.uah.edu). It rewards higher GPA will lesser ACT/SAT. UAH is excellent in engineering (also look at their ABET accreditation). Co-op and internship opportunities for engineering students in Huntsville area.
Another - look at MS State. However it is in a rural setting.
You do need to focus on your standardized testing (ACT/SAT) which will help you on the two dimensions - in-state admission, and financial safeties for those that will give merit for ACT/SAT and GPA.
The Real ACT book (if you don’t have it already). Are there any test prep centers or tutoring help? DD found the one on one help with test tutoring (along with practice testing) to be very beneficial. If you have taken the SAT, look at the chart for “Compare ACT and SAT Scores” on www.act.org web site.
Your California schools - maybe you will need to consider a community college for your first two years.