Beverage Server Training offered to Allamakee County retailers

August 10 the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office and Helping Services for Northeast Iowa conducted a Beverage Server Training in the NICC Center in Waukon. This training was made available at no cost to retailers in Allamakee County by the Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws grant through the First Judicial District Juvenile Court Services.
Presenting the training were Ryan Johnson, Chief Deputy of the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office, and Katie Bee, Prevention Specialist at Helping Services for Northeast Iowa. Attendees were educated through instruction, videos, power point presentations and handouts.
From the training, attendees learned about Iowa laws and regulations involving the sale of alcohol, helpful hints for checking identifications, how to identify valid and counterfeit identifications, how to pass compliance checks, what retailers' rights and responsibilities are when presented with a false identification, and how to best handle patrons that have had too much to drink. Attendees were able to meet and speak with other retailers and hear about their experiences regarding best practices for alcohol sales.
Retail sellers of alcohol, law enforcement personnel, and prevention specialists all have a common goal and responsibility to keep communities safe. Along with compliance checks and working with parents to monitor their youth, beverage server training is an important strategy to reduce the damage done by underage drinking in this country.
Helping Services for Northeast Iowa is offering an online Beverage Server Training for individuals who are unable to attend on-site trainings. This 21-minute training on the basics of Iowa law is designed especially for servers and sellers of alcohol. To view the online Beverage Server Training, visit the Helping Services website at www.helpingservices.org. Individuals who complete the online training will receive a certificate of completion.
To hear more about upcoming Beverage Server Trainings or to request a free Beverage Server Training DVD, contact Katie Bee at kbee@helpingservices.org or by phone at (563) 387-1720, ext. 110.