Newly hired Ambassadors with the City’s Savannah Serves pilot program took to the streets on Friday to wrap up training in anticipation of next week’s program launch.

During two days of training, Ambassadors learned everything from correctly reading a map to identifying suspicious behavior. The Ambassadors, wearing visible uniforms, will deploy throughout downtown beginning Wednesday to provide assistance to visitors, residents and businesses.

“We’re very excited to launch this pilot program, with the assistance of our community partners including the Downtown Business Association, the Tourism Leadership Council and the Downtown Neighborhood Association,” said Bridget Lidy, director of the Tourism Management and Ambassadorship Department. “The Ambassadors represent a diverse skillset, from being able to provide directions to alerting police to public safety concerns, that will complement existing City and SCMPD resources in the downtown area.”

The Savannah Serves pilot program will consist of up to a dozen Ambassadors who will work in the downtown area to promote and support crime prevention, public safety and security; provide information and hospitality services; and promotes a high-quality environment by identifying and reporting maintenance problems and needs. They will be in regular contact with law enforcement and other officials who service downtown area.