Stevens repeatedly told the dispatcher that she was going to die because the water was rising up past her chest and had engulfed the inside of her SUV. Dispatcher Donna Reneau from the Fort Smith Police Department had given her two-weeks notice and was working her very last shift when 47-year-old Debra Stevens called in. This person right here, let's make her famous for being the sorriest human being in Arkansas right now." Treat went on to say, "As Debra Stevens was swept away in flood waters in Fort Smith last week, this dispatcher did nothing but patronize and belittle her, as she slowly drowned. Meanwhile, the department's investigation into the matter is ongoing. - A former 911 dispatcher in Arkansas was cleared of any wrongdoing in how she handled a call in which she scolded a panicking woman for driving into floodwaters before she drowned. Police Chief Danny Baker at the time said he could completely understand the 'disgust and concern' people have had over the interaction between the dispatcher and Stevens. Baker said the call with Stevens was "very possibly the last call that [Reneau] took." Here's what we know about Donna Reneau, the 911 call, and the fallout of her actions. Would love your thoughts, please comment. The investigation was. (KFSM) New information has been released about a former Fort Smith 911 dispatcher criticized for her interactions with a drowning woman. Is there maybe things we need to look at in our response? I'm going to drown! Operator Donna Reneau took that call at 4:38am. By Luke Kenton and Emily Crane For Dailymail.com, Published: 16:27 GMT, 31 August 2019 | Updated: 06:41 GMT, 23 December 2019. The family of a woman who drowned while . We are looking at what we can do to increase training for our dispatchers, swift water rescues, and other things.. She says the vehicle is now moving in the water. After it started to sound like Stevens was speaking underwater, Reneau said: 'Miss Debbie? Pictured above is dashcam video of authorities searching for her car, Reneau could be heard telling the first responders searching for her: 'I'm on the phone with her now and she is legit freaking out. Debra Stevens, 47, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, died after her SUV got stuck in a flash flood while she was delivering newspapers. The 911 call was in EXCESS of 20 minutes. Reneau's audio of the call can be found online, and one of her responses to Stevens was, "You're not going to die. Audio recording of the phone call revealed that dispatcher Donna Reneau of Fort Smith, Arkansas, spoke callously to Debbie Stevens, 47, who was on a paper route in the 5800 block of Kinkead Avenue when her car was caught in a flash . "I don't know why you are freaking out. Youre not going to die. See additional information. - A former 911 dispatcher in Arkansas was cleared of any wrongdoing in how she handled a call in which she scolded a panicking woman for driving into floodwaters before she drowned. Unfortunately, what she's going to be remembered for more than all the calls where she maybe actually helped people is one of the last calls of her career where she berated a drowning woman named Debra Stevens who called 911 for help after getting caught up in a flash flood. 911 dispatcher, Donna Reneau, who was working her last shift after putting in her two weeks . All of our first responders who attempted to save Mrs. Stevens are distraught over the outcome. Phase De La Lune sotrisme, Reneau can be heard telling Stevens, "this will teach you next time don't drive in the waterhow you didn't see it, you had to go right over it." At one point, amid Stevens' cries and pleas for help, Reneau told her, "You're not gonna die, I don't know why you're freaking out The dispatcher, Donna Reneau, at one point told Stevens to "shut up" during the horrific call, which was recorded and released after Stevens' untimely death. Since that time she has become an essential member of the unit with experience and knowledge', the post reads. She makes me sick. 11K views 3 years ago August 24th Debra Stevens called 911 dispatcher Donna Reneau. RELATED:New Details About A Baby Who Was Accidentally Locked Inside A Hot Car And Why A 911 Operator Refused To Send Police To Help. Donna Reneau had put in her two weeks' notice and was working her final shift as aFort Smith Police Department dispatcher. "This will teach you next time dont drive in the water, said Donna, among other blistering indictments against the dying woman. Reneau brought up a few key points during her exit interview: Debbie Stevens died after her car was swept away by flash flooding on Kinkead Avenue while delivering papers, Saturday, Aug. 24. Now, herfamily is speaking out, telling Inside Edition they arefurious at the handling of her emergency. En'Joy" donna reneau dispatcher apology Reneau had turned in her. So now he is demanding an apology. Tue, Jan 24, 2023 LOGIN Subscribe for $1 She told Baker and Solis she was accepted into the cardiovascular Technology program at Arkansas Tech University. Pictured above is dashcam video of authorities searching for her car. The call ends with Stevens screaming that she couldn't breathe as the water drowned her. An internal investigation concluded that operator Donna Reneau violated policy by being rude during an August call with Debbie Stevens shortly before her death, but she did nothing that would have warranted her termination, according to the Fort Smith Police Department. Reneau faced no criminal charges in Stevens death. A woman in Arkansas drowned in floodwaters shortly after getting on the phone with an emergency dispatcher who scolded her for driving during the storm. Newly released 911 audio reveals the final moments of an Arkansas newspaper delivery woman as she drowned in her car. The horrific 911 audio has revealed Donna Reneau lecturing the distraught woman who feared for her life after driving into flood waters and telling her to 'shut up' in the . jorge ghosn wikipdia; rver que sa belle soeur est enceinte; era immobilier olho 5NEWS has obtained an exit interview Donna Reneau had with the Fort Smith Police Department four days after the incident. 'You're not going to die. When the team did arrive to save her, the flooding delayed their attempts to get to her:When first responders were finally able to reach Mrs. Stevens and extract her from the vehicle, she had tragically succumbed to drowning., Wait. did this guy Danny Baker just say that #Donnareneau has had to endure things as a dispatcher that no one should have to? 5 Debra's last moments were captured in a chilling 22-minute phone call Credit: Facebook "The 911 call came in at 4:38 a.m. and was answered by Donna Reneau, who had previously turned in her two . 4.41am: Fire department is dispatched to the scene. Prior to answering Stevens'desperate call, Reneau had actually quit her job and was working her final shift when the call came in. Bettering work conditions - A former 911 dispatcher in Arkansas was cleared of any wrongdoing in how she handled a call in which she scolded a panicking woman for driving into floodwaters before she drowned. Baker said Thursday that Donna Reneau was working her final shift Aug. 24, when Debra Stevens died. She was also heard in the call telling Stevens to "shut up.". I dont know why youre freaking out, Reneau snapped at Stevens at one point, leading to hundreds of complaints about her disrespectful response, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette said. Stevens: "Please help me. A rescue boat was launched at 5:16 a.m. however, first responders werent able to reach Stevens until 5:58 a.m. Debbie Stevens, 47, called the. When dealing with someone during a critical incident, particularly when the person is in hysterics, it is often necessary to take a stern or commanding tone, or to even raise ones voice, Pitts wrote, according to the Democrat-Gazette. Example video title will go here for this video. Reneau had resigned from the department prior to this incident, . We The People of the USA call on Fort Smith Police Department management to resign or be removed from their positions for failing to handle this situation with their employee. As Stevens began to panic, Reneau's responses . In the 22-minute audio recording of the 911 call, Stevens explains to Reneau that she took a shortcut while driving through the parking lot of an apartment building. The recording (edited to remove sensitive content) was released by the Fort Smith Police Department in an effort to remain as transparent as possible regarding events that transpired during Stevens failed rescue. Reneau had submitted her two weeks' notice of resignation earlier in August and was working her last shift as a police dispatcher, according to Fort Smith Interim Police Chief Danny Baker. Next time don't drive in the water." Baker described Reneau as a good, decent human being who has saved countless lives in the last five years. ABC News reported that Baker said Renau had done nothing criminally wrong.. Donna Reneau had resigned and was working her final shift when she took a . Ralph R. Ortega For Dailymail.com Even in the edited version of the call, the 911 dispatcher who has been identified as Donna Reneau is noticeably condescending and irate. She's an experienced generalist with a passion for lifestyle, geek news, pop culture, and true crime. But Reneau's handling of the dying woman's call has opened a . When Stevens said she needed to vomit, Reneau hit back saying: 'Well you're in water, you can throw up it's not going to matter'. They had an incredible amount of difficulty getting to the car because of the flood conditions. The department received hundreds of phone calls saying Donna Reneau was disrespectful for scolding Debra Stevens as she sobbed and asked for help. Third-shift supervisors do have a supervisor, but the supervisor works first-shift and Reneau said he was not available if dispatchers needed him. "I sure will., Reneau, who was working her final shift after giving her notice two weeks notice, told Stevens that authorities will get there when they get there and that she's not going to die, at one point telling her to "shut up. Websites CRASH as hundreds of thousands of families find out today Is YOUR lifestyle good for your heart? "And, while the operator's response to this extremely tense and dynamic event sounds calloused and uncaring at times, sincere efforts were being made to locate and save Mrs. Stevens," the police statement added. Stevens can be heard asking the dispatcher at one point in the call. In December 2019, the police released their internal review on Reneau. Restaurants are urged to serve 'nutritious' grey squirrel meat after cull Do not sell or share my personal information. UPDATE: FORT SMITH, Ark. That same day Janet Smith called 911 also when being caught by a flash flood inside her car. The. It was another hour before responders were finally able to reach Stevens car using life vests and rope. The call happened on Reneau's final shift. 4.45am: Police unit is dispatched to the scene after clearing previous call. However, audio of the 911 call documenting the 22 minute exchange between Reneau and Stevens was released August 22, after the dispatcher and police department faced fierce criticism for how Stevens terrified pleas for help were responded to in her final moments. She's a former 911 dispatcher who used to save lives with her calls daily. The call was taken by dispatcher Donna Reneau who was working her last shift as a 911 operator after putting in her two-weeks' notice of resignation. Reneau could be heard telling Stevens to stop crying and calm down. The dispatcher then apologized to her while laughing, she stated. 'Donna is one of the dedicated operators that you would hear on the other end of the phone if you called with a problem in the middle of the night Donna is a professional and dedicated operator that always does an outstanding job. Debbie Stevens, 47, who was trapped as floodwaters [] "She was brokenhearted.". https://t.co/FqdZG2W6zZ pic.twitter.com/nlO9WLILcP, FOX 32 News (@fox32news) August 31, 2019. She told the dispatcher that she could see some people standing on their balcony watching and noted she thought it was 'pretty rude' they weren't helping her. The first crews arrived on the scene about ten minutes later but had difficulty identifying Stevens exact location due to the high waters. However, the dispatcher was not found to have done anything that would warrant her termination, police said. According to a news release from the Fort . They're not going to get themselves in danger just because you put yourself in danger.'. (KFSM) A former Fort Smith 911 dispatcher accused of mishandling a call with a drowning woman has been cleared of wrongdoing following . 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Jamie Mitchell/The Southwest Times Record via AP) Time was running out for Debra Stevens. He said the police department would be investigating its policies into responses and their dispatch center in the wake of Stevens' death. Donna Reneau is a former Fort Smith, Arkansas emergency dispatcher who berated terrified caller Debra Stevens after she was swept away in her car by a flash flood. Police said the 911 operator had dispatched Fort Smith Fire and Police units to help Stevens but it made it difficult because she couldn't describe her exact location. Did OJ Simpson's Son Jason Kill Nicole Brown & Ron Goldman? All of our first responders who attempted to save Mrs. Stevens are distraught over the outcome. "This will teach you next time don't drive in the water," Reneau said. While Reneau's boss agreed that the way she spoke to Stevenswasn't ideal, he did admit that it wasn't so bad that he would ever have considered firing a dispatcher for it. 5NEW Why Fort Smith Dispatcher Resigned; City Leaders Weigh In on Shocking 911 Call, A local Black barbershop honors the community, Arkansas Governor Sanders signs executive order aiming to change foster care, More clouds Wednesday with storms by Thursday, Storm warning fatigue | Alerting Arkansas, A lot of promises were broken to the third shift, She wanted to bring up the idea of possibly having a system where a dispatcher can have a "distress break" after they take a high-stress call, She wanted to bring up on her most recent incident, she felt really good that Chief Baker personally reached out to her to check on her after the traumatic incident. Here's what to do if it happens. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. Please help me. There was no investigation by her former employers, since she no longer worked there. Will you do the same? ", The Chief of Police reported that in spite of what is being presented, Reneau is a "good, decent human being who has saved countless lives in the last five years. So calm down'. When Stevens called, the Fort Smith Police Department staff was stretched thin. 'It's a tragic thing, I understand that. "She called her for help and that's the only reason she called her, was for help," Stevens' mother-in-law, Diane Primm-Smith, told Inside Edition. Also exacerbating response and rescue efforts were the facts that Mrs. Stevens was having trouble describing her exact location and flooding limited the ability of first responders to reach her, said a press releaseissued by the police. Baker said 911 had been inundated with calls at the time from people who were also stranded in flood waters. 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