Public Safety Staff Taking Part in Spanish Language Training

Members of the Columbia Heights Police and Fire Departments are participating in Spanish language training, an initiative that aims to improve communication with the city’s growing Spanish-speaking community. The departments are offering the classes through a partnership with Brenda Pliego-Geniz, a Columbia Heights Public School employee. For eight weeks, 20 members of the departments are setting aside an hour per week to attend a series of classes focusing on language skills that are likely to come up in various emergency situations.

The Spanish-speaking community in Columbia Heights has grown rapidly, with approximately 60% of students at the city’s Valley View and Columbia Academy schools speaking Spanish this year. Public Safety staff are increasingly facing language barriers that require them to rely on translations services, which led the departments to seek this additional training. "We hope that the classes will help staff successfully interact with the public on emergencies," said Police Captain Matt Markham. "This is our first run, so I expect we will build off of what we learn going into 2024."

12-6-2023

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