On a Wednesday morningin the middle of July, class is in session at San Francisco Waldorf High School.
"So, Ha pasado antes? Has it happened before?" But, these students aren't teenagers, they're first responders, learning Spanish one phrase at a time.
"Yo soy bombero. Que tal?"
"Today is my off duty day," said Lam. "I live not too far from here. So it's nice to roll in, in my flip-flops and learn a little Spanish."
Lam already knows English and Cantonese. "I can run calls in Chinese and take care of people," said Lam. "But, Spanish. It's like a complete different language."
Teacher Dino Rosso who teaches Spanish here in the school year gears this class to making sure first responders can act fast in emergencies.
Firefighters do have access to translator services. But, knowing the language can save precious time.