"We Saw a Gap in Our Training" - The SAFE Bar Network Story.

Across the country, spring is in bloom. It's a time for new beginnings, fresh starts, and renewed energy. What better time to share how the SAFE Bar Network got its start?

The SAFE Bar Network was founded by Kevin Duffy and Kevin Fitzpatrick. Business partners who own large college bars in Nebraska (Barry’s Bar and Grill), Missouri (Fieldhouse | Willies), and Indiana (Kilroy’s Sports and Kilroy’s on Kirkwood). Duffy and Fitzpatrick are college bar owners who set out to build on the brand equity of their bars by modernizing the operations - everything from technology to training for their employees.

In 2018, they set out to find bystander intervention training specifically designed for the hospitality industry. They partnered with the Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault in Kansas City, Missouri where they met a violence prevention educator named, Haleigh Harrold. Over the next two years, Haleigh trained hundreds of their employees and the atmosphere of their bars began to change.

“We think that we do a great job of training our staff to spot fake IDs and notice when someone has had too much to drink but we saw a gap in our training and wanted to provide our employee's opportunities to learn bystander intervention skills to increase safety and enhance the positive atmosphere of our bars. The improvements in intervention skills, safety, and overall atmosphere were incredible and we wanted to invest in making this training available to other bars.” - Kevin Duffy

In January 2020 Kevin Duffy and Kevin Fitzpatrick launched the SAFE Bar Network to increase access to bystander intervention training for employees at bars and other alcohol-serving venues. They hired Haleigh Harrold to lead the organization and expand the Network nationwide with the ultimate goal of giving every bar-goer a safe night out.

To learn more about joining the SAFE Bar Network contact us at safebarnetwork@gmail.com

The SAFE Bar Network is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) you can join the team by donating your time, talent, and money to the mission of giving everyone a SAFE Night Out, just click here.

There are everyday active bystanders practicing the skills to keep people safe every day. Watch their stories here, Everyday Active Bystanders.

To learn more about active bystander skills check out our blog post, Obstacles. What obstacles? 3 Full Proof Everyday Active Bystander Skills.

Interested in learning more about bystander intervention? Visit our friends at With Us Center for Bystander Intervention.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual harassment our partners can help. Visit MOCSA.org and RAINN.org

To learn more about the field of violence response and prevention visit PreventConnect.org and NSVRC.org