KSHB 41 reporter La’Nita Brooks covers stories in the Northland. She spent most of Wednesday with Liberty High School students who helped Liberty firefighters learn Spanish phrases that could save lives in an emergency. Share your story idea with La’Nita.
Liberty High School Spanish class students stepped outside the classroom Wednesday to become teachers themselves.
Liberty High School Spanish students teach firefighters lifesaving phrases
They visited the Liberty Fire Department to help first responders better serve the community’s growing Spanish-speaking population.
The students taught firefighters common Spanish language phrases they can use during emergency calls.
La’Nita Brooks
“It was kind of weird being the one up there teaching people,” said Iyari Hyde, a sophomore at Liberty High School. “But it was very nice. It felt like people were looking up to you.”
The students broke down lessons into practical sections, including greetings, reassurance phrases, identification and directions.
La’Nita Brooks
“Yeah, they’re really good learners, all the crews were good,” said Julian Alonso, a Liberty High School senior. “They repeated, said it correctly.”
Each student led their own specialized lesson to help firefighters communicate more effectively during emergencies.
“My section was like the body parts and what questions they might ask about body parts,” said Erick Colon, a Liberty High School sophomore.
La’Nita Brooks
The training addresses a real need in the community, as Spanish is the second-most spoken language in the United States, with more than 40 million people speaking it at home. Liberty’s Spanish-speaking community is on the rise.
“I feel like it was really important to let them know directions,” said Alonso. “It’s important to help them know where to go or to help guide the people who don’t speak English in the evacuations to help get them to safety or out of the building.”
David Crossley, a Captain with the Liberty Fire Department, says the training session has helped better prepare them for busy seasons like the holidays and the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026.
“They made note cards for us; they put together a PowerPoint presentation,” said Capt. Crossley. “They did a really good job in researching what would really be useful for us.”
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The training comes at a crucial time for firefighters as they increasingly encounter Spanish-speaking residents during emergency calls.
“Just in the last month alone, I’ve used Spanish on three different calls in my capacity here,” Capt. Crossley said.
The language skills could prove vital during life-threatening situations where clear communication is essential.
“Oh, absolutely it can be lifesaving, “Capt Crossley said. “Like I said, if you’re in an emergency medical scenario and you can’t communicate with the person having the emergency, it makes our job a lot harder.”
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Crystal Kelly, Liberty High School Spanish teacher, emphasized the broader impact of the cross-cultural exchange.
“Knowing that someone that doesn’t look like you, speak like you, tries to understand you,” Kelly said.
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