As patrons enter bars, restaurants and taverns in State College, many are unaware of the extensive training that door staff, servers and bartenders receive, say local bar owners and alcohol safety educators.

The death of Penn State student Salvador Peter Serrano has "served as a wake-up call" for establishments that serve alcohol, said Mike Caruso, owner of The Darkhorse Tavern, 128 E. College Ave.

Bill Rock, general manager for Players Nite Club, 112 W. College Ave., said Serrano's death had a similar effect on his establishment.

"It's obvious that after something like that, a tragedy, it's an opportunity to reevaluate your policy. Each night is different, and every situation is different. Door staff have to be thinking on their feet," Rock said.

Serrano died on Oct. 26 during a physical altercation with two employees of the All American Rathskeller, 108 S. Pugh St.

A borough ordinance passed unanimously last July requires at least two employees from establishments that serve alcohol to attend a Training Intervention Procedures for Servers of Alcohol (TIPS) course. The course is administered by the borough health department and taught by officers from the State College Police Department.

The TIPS course does not include training for door staff; rather, it focuses on identifying behavioral cues that denote intoxication, said Sharon Ergler, borough health department secretary.

There are more than 30 establishments licensed to serve alcohol in State College. Establishments have until March 31 to complete the training or face a fine ranging from $100 to $1,000.

Caruso said his staff at The Darkhorse Tavern does extensive training beyond what is mandated by the borough, and in seven years of business, he said his staff has only had to physically restrain one person.

Joe Shulman, general manager of The Gingerbread Man, 130 Hiester St. said the management of his restaurant recently hired an attorney to advise his employees about liability issues. Extensive training combined with a large staff allows the Gingerbread Man to "create a very safe drinking environment," Shulman said.

Rock said the staff at Players Nite Club have an excellent relationship with the police and pride themselves on the small number of incidents that occur in the club.

"If you develop a relationship with [the police] and they know you, they will back you up. I have always found them very understanding and accommodating," Rock said.

Liz Pierce, director of human resources for Hotel State College, teaches a course similar to TIPS. Pierce said the six-hour course, "Bar Code: Serving Alcohol Responsibly," was designed by the National Restaurant Association and includes instruction ranging from identifying intoxicated patrons to defusing situations that are escalating verbally or physically.

Pierce said the bar code course doesn't involve any specific training on physical restraint or techniques for escorting someone out of an establishment.

"You need to be cautious about the types of information you give [during training], and our focus is to not restrain someone unless it is physically required. The rule of thumb is that you never touch a patron unless it is out of self-defense," Pierce said. "Pain compliance techniques such as arm-twisting are completely off-limits."

Pierce said establishments are legally prohibited from serving patrons to the point of intoxication and said she doubts most people are aware of this.

Employees are advised they have no more legal authority inside an establishment than a customer does, she said.

She added that all establishments owned by Hotel State College, 100 W. College Ave., including Zeno's, The Corner Room, and the Allen Street Grill, have a system for documenting any incidents that involve police, minors, alcohol-related accidents or illness.

"It keeps a good record for what has happened in the past and serves as an example for future training," Pierce said.