By the time rescue crews were able to secure the car, Stevens had drowned. Stevens called 911 before her death, and Reneau answered her call. I don't know why you're freaking out. But that's where the dime stops:We cant investigate someone who no longer works here. We are looking at what we can do to increase training for our dispatchers, swift water rescues, and other things.. "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. Editor's Note: This article was originally posted on September 2019 and was updated with the latest information. Stevens had been delivering newspapers in the early hours in Fort Smith when she accidentally drove into rising flood waters that swept her SUV off the road. According to a statement from the Fort Smith Police Department, the dispatcher, identified as Donna Reneau by local media, was working her last shift as a 911 dispatcher and dispatch trainer when she answered the call early Saturday morning. I'm going to drown!" Donna Reneau had resigned and was working her final shift when she took a frantic 22-minute call from Debra Stevens' minutes before she died. Now, herfamily is speaking out, telling Inside Edition they arefurious at the handling of her emergency. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. 'Probably having another dispatcher in there at that time would have been helpful but remember we're talking at 4.30 in the morning so getting folks down there to assist with dispatch would have been difficult', Baker said. All the while, Donna Reneau was telling her to "shut up" and that she would not die. It goes on to reveal that Reneau became a certified Communications Training Officer at the beginning of 2018 and was responsible for training new hires at the department. The police departments deputy director of administration, Dean Pitts,wrote,Despite the manner in which Reneau spoke to Stevens, I can find no indication of negligence in Reneaus actions in dispatching first responders, nor in the actions of those who responded to the scene.. Is there maybe things we need to look at in our response? She intentional inflicted pain on another human being. Reneau put in her two weeks notice before the woman's drowning, and. We call for the investigation and criminal prosecution of Donna Reneau for her crimes of negligence and ignoring this woman's pleas for help as she drowned in her vehicle in the flood waters. 4.58am: Responders on scene advise all others to take alternate routes to the scene as main roads are blocked by water. 4.54am: Police/fire report difficulty locating vehicle. . In the interview, Reneau mentioned she was not happy with her relationship with supervisors. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ', Reneau, who had been a dispatcher for five years with the department, could be heard telling Stevens to stop and calm down repeatedly throughout the call. Responders begin trying to get to vehicle, donning life vests and ropes. 911 dispatcher who scolded drowning woman won't face charges - ABC News. Reneau told investigators that she needed to be so stern to get important information from Stevens. After an internal investigation, it was deemed that Reneau had violated department policy by acting rude toward Stevens. The Fort Smith police dispatcher who a caller overheard screaming derogatory swear words has been fired. Reneau had given her notice two weeks earlier. Reneau's actions are now being investigated by the Fort Smith PD. Donna Marie Reneau, who previously was 'dispatcher of the year' at the Fort Smith Police Department, resigned Aug. 23, the same day she scolded drowning victim Debra Stevens during a 22-minutes 9-1-1 call, which she was thankful that Baker "personally reached out to her to check on her after the traumatic incident". 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. I don't know why you're freaking out.". Reneau, who had been a dispatcher . Reneau responded. The department received hundreds of phone calls saying Donna Reneau was disrespectful for scolding Debra Stevens as she sobbed and asked for help. Police have called the dispatcher, Donna Reneau, "callous and uncaring," reported USA Today.. Stevens called at around 4:30 a.m. and said that she was in an emergency situation. I don't know why you're freaking out. He said the police department would be investigating its policies into responses and their dispatch center in the wake of Stevens' death. Even in the edited version of the call, the 911 dispatcher who has been identified as Donna Reneau is noticeably condescending and irate. - 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. Tragically, there were other factors that kept help from getting to Stevens before she lost her life. Did they find her? Debra Stevens, 47, pictured left was on her regular newspaper route when a flash flood swept up her car. An external investigation by an outside agency is also taking place. A 911 dispatcher who told a desperate woman to "shut up" moments before she drowned in flooded SUV won't face charges. "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. . 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 Congratulations to Donna Reneau for being selected as the Fire Dispatcher of the Year! Youre not going to die. "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. Reneau had worked for the Fort Smith Police Department for five years, serving as a certified trainer for new employees, and was named fire dispatcher of the year in February, according to. and 'They had an incredible amount of difficulty getting to the car because of the flood conditions. jorge ghosn wikipdia; rver que sa belle soeur est enceinte; era immobilier olho I dont want to die, she said. All of our first responders who attempted to save Mrs. Stevens are distraught over the outcome. She worked in Fort Smith, Arkansas as a 911 dispatcher. This story was reported from Cincinnati. Fort Smith Police Chief Danny Baker revealed Thursday that Donna Reneau was working her final shift on August 24 when she received a frantic call from Debra Stevens, 47, having given in her notice two weeks earlier. Please help me. Did they find her? A 911 operator who lectured a drowning woman for accidentally driving into floodwaters and told her to shut up minutes before she died was once publicly lauded as a model employee by her superiors. Baker acknowledged Reneau would have faced disciplinary action if she still worked with the department but said he couldn't see anything that would have been cause for termination or a criminal investigation. Fort Smith dispatcher Donna Reneau sparked outrage in August after audio was released of her callous response to Debbie Stevens, 47, who was trapped in her car by floodwaters that eventually killed her. An internal. But what we want to do is not lose sight of the fact first responders were dispatched, the call was bumped in priority, and as much effort was done by our first responders to get to her," Fort Smith City Administrator Carl Geffken said. 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 . Forget turnipsnow eat SQUIRREL! At one point, Stevens got frantic and had this exchange with the dispatcher. She worked in Fort Smith, Arkansas as a 911 dispatcher. Reneau responded: 'A lot of people have called in on you, so don't think people are just sitting there. The 911 call came in at 4:38 a.m. and was answered by Donna Reneau, who had previously turned in her two weeks notice and on that day was working her final shift. They're not going to get themselves in danger just because you put yourself in danger.'. 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. "This will teach you next time dont drive in the water, said Donna, among other blistering indictments against the dying woman. 11 Strict Rules That Elon Musk Makes His Girlfriends & Wives Follow, Justin Bieber Suspected As The Father Of Kourtney Kardashian's Son Reign (Instead Of Scott Disick), Why Kate Moss Was 'Scared' & 'Couldn't Get Out Of Bed For Weeks' After Working With Mark Wahlberg. She couldve been deemed to have broken human resource standards if shed still been an employee but nothing to merit a measure of discipline as strict as termination, Pitts wrote. 5.16am: Rescue boat arrives and is launched. 'Am I not on the phone with you trying to get you some help?' Every police officer on duty is busy on other calls. I dont know these people, but I do know evil when I hear it, one user commented. "How Mrs. Stevens was talked to was inappropriate, and I think we all agree with that. U.S. FOX News. FORT SMITH, Ark. Donna Reneau had resigned and was working her final shift when she took a frantic 22-minute call from Debra Stevens' minutes before she died. They just weren't able to get to her on time, Mitchell said. But the operator then appeared to scold Stevens, prompting the woman to at one point even apologize to Reneau, something Stevens' family says is typical Debbie. 'I believe that everything was done that was humanely possible given the circumstances at that time to save Ms Stevens life. I cant get out and Im scared to death, maam. She had submitted her two-weeks' notice in early August. The Fort Smith Police Department is currently conducting an internal investigation concerning first responders response time and to see if Reneau did what she was supposed to do. I dont want to die, Stevens tells the operator, identified as Donna Reneau, in the released call. Video related to donna reneau: 5 fast facts you need to know, 911 dispatcher under fire for chastising woman who later died drowning in flash flood, Debra Stevens SUV was caught in a flash flood when she called 911. Stevens, 47, drowned as she. FORT SMITH, Ark. 5NEWS has obtained an exit interview. and In the video above: Severe floodwaters hit Arkansas Watch the latest news and stream for free on 7plus >> But seven months later, she would become known for telling drowning woman Debra Stevens to "shut up". Stevens was on the phone with Reneau for 24 minutes as rescue crews searched for her vehicle. 5.02am: Responders report they have located the vehicle. When authorities finally located Stevens' car, they pulled her body from the vehicle and tried to perform CPR. UPDATE: FORT SMITH, Ark. Bodycam video released by the Fort Smith Police Department shows first responders searching for Stevens' car when she called 911 to say she was trapped in flood waters, 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. Baker acknowledged Reneau would have faced disciplinary action if she still worked with the department but said he couldn't see anything that would have been cause for termination or a criminal investigation. Girl, 2, looks star-struck as she presents Kate with a gift of Daffodils for St David's Mike Tindall's latest money-making scheme! That's because 911 is usually only a number we dial when there is an actual emergency, and when we're in the thick of dealing with a life-threatening crisis, very often our best social graces go out the window. 4:01 pm. A frantic Debbie Stevens sobbed as she was on the phone with an operator in Arkansas while she was trapped in a flash flood on the morning of Aug. 24. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. 911 dispatcher, Donna Reneau, who was working . 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. Debbie Stevens (left) drowned on Aug. 24 while being scolded by 911 dispatcher Donna Reneau. According to a news release from the Fort . Debra Stevens, 47, had been delivering newspapers in the early hours of August 24 in Fort Smith, Arkansas, when she accidentally drove into rising flood waters that swept her SUV off the road. Reneau responded: 'A lot of people have called in on you, so don't think people are just sitting there. Example video title will go here for this video. Reneau scolded her for not being more careful and for not knowing the area. Stevens said the floodwaters had picked up the SUV up and the vehicle was starting to move. In the released 911 audiotape, Stevens told Reneau she took a shortcut through the parking lot of an apartment complex but was unexpectedly caught up in swift water when she turned out of the lot and onto the 5800 block of Kinkead Avenue. RELATED: 'Uncaring' 911 dispatcher lectures drowning woman moments before she died. 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. Reneau said, "The ability to help people in a time of an emergency." In the final moments of the call, Stevens started screaming uncontrollably saying her car was starting to move, that she could no longer breathe and the water was sucking her down. 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