Identifying intoxicated patrons trying to enter bars and checking for correct identification is a top priority for bar owners, causing many to send employees to special training sessions.
Several local bars and restaurants participated in bar training Sunday night at Players Nite Club, 112 E. College Ave., to educate bartenders and servers about issues such as alcohol safety.
The bar code training is one of the two main options bars have to train and educate employees to safely serve alcohol to customers.
"Bar code training will now be accepted by the [Pennsylvania] Liquor Control Board (PLCB) as a responsible alcohol education class," said Liz Pierce, Director of Human Resources at the Hotel State College, 100 W. College Ave., and certified bar code trainer.
Pierce, who conducted the bar code training session approved by the PLCB about six months ago, said she likes to notify all the bars and restaurants with liquor licenses in the Tavern Association of State College about upcoming sessions to see if there are any new employees who need to be trained.
The bar code training, taught through the National Restaurant Association, included venues such as Café 210 West, 210 W. College Ave., The Corner Room and Allen Street Grill, 100 W. College Ave., Players Nite Club and Zeno's, 100 W. College Ave.
Café 210 owner Hal McCullough said there are incentives to taking the training session.
"If we save someone, then it's worth its price in gold," McCullough said.
Haley Marish, a waitress at Café 210 West, said the four-hour training session was beneficial and informative.
"It was learning a lot about safety issues, like how to tell if someone is intoxicated, how alcohol goes through the body and things like what kinds of people get drunk faster than others," Marish said.
McCullough sent 26 employees to the session while the Allen Street Grill only sent one.
"We had one employee go, a requirement that all new people go through," said Mary Ellis, a manager at the Allen Street Grill. "As we hire new people, we'll send them through."
The second option would be to take the Responsible Alcohol Management Program (RAMP), which is also a voluntary program by the PLCB.
But Mark Henry, State College Health Department director, said there is an ordinance that makes it mandatory for every State College bar manager and one employee go to RAMP training sessions.
Tony Lopinsky, a State College Police community relations officer and a RAMP instructor, said there are other incentives to taking the session.
"If they're fined [alcohol violations], it would reduce the fine," Lopinsky said.
Molly McGowan, PLCB spokeswoman, said RAMP is designed to educate people about underage drinking and to correctly identify intoxicated individuals.
Lopinsky said there are five components to RAMP, including owner/manager training education, alcohol and server training, new employee training, signage and calling the Liquor Control Board to finalize everything.
Pierce said the bar code training and RAMP are very similar programs.
"They both deal with effects that alcohol has on the body, techniques for dealing with customers who try to get served while intoxicated, properly checking identification and individual responsibility," Pierce said.
