TIPS, a Training course for Intervention Procedures by Servers of alcohol, will be offered at Otto’s, 118 E. Lincoln Hwy. on Dec. 10.

TIPS is part of Euclid Beverage, a Miller-project which educates bartenders, bouncers, waitresses and other bar employees about how to handle customers who are overintoxicated.

Under the TIPS program, Miller donates kegs of beer to the bar, and when someone orders a Miller draft, the money goes to the program fund.

Robert Daniels, owner of Otto’s, said, “It opens your eyes to different situations; it shows cues that you watch for, cues that their hands are shaky and (that) you watch them and talk to them. It also tells how to cut somebody off.

“It’s basically common sense, but it is not that easy of a thing to do, it opens your eyes a little bit more to the situation,” Daniels said.

He said the program is taught by Bob Marinier, a nationally-certified instuctor from Euclid Beverage. Daniels said most of his employees are certified TIPS servers, but he intends to extend the program, including inviting other bars to participate.

Daniels said, “Frats may be interested in taking this course; we will be offering more sessions.”

The course, the third such program offered by Otto’s, is offered in conjunction with the “We Care” fund, started after the Oct. 4, 1987 auto accident which took the life of Otto’s employee and NIU student Christine Billmeyer. The accident, which occurred at the intersection of Lincoln Highway and Annie Glidden Road, was a result of a collision with another car whose driver was under the influence of alcohol.

The fund was begun by employees of Otto’s last year and was extended to other DeKalb-area businesses.

Daniels said, “We have invited people from city hall, aldermen and the chief of police. We believe it is something people should look at; it’s not something everybody can do.”

Other types of programs Daniels would like to see in the future include first-aid types of courses including CPR and basic first-aid techniques. He said the purpose of the program is prevention of more problems.

Daniels said the program would help employees handle incidents like fights and an incident which occurred this weekend in which a customer tried to “head-butt a beer glass.”