Now, herfamily is speaking out, telling Inside Edition they arefurious at the handling of her emergency. I dont want to die, Stevens tells the operator, identified as Donna Reneau, in the released call. 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. When we are unsuccessful, it hurts.". Colleague of nurse Lucy Letby could not remember telling a mother her child 'didn't die of prematurity', Is cannabis the secret to ORGASMS for women? Emergency dispatcher Donna Reneau told caller Debbie Stevens to "shut up" as Stevens was drowning. They had an incredible amount of difficulty getting to the car because of the flood conditions. Stevens screamed as the water level crept up inside her car, which was stranded in floodwater. Prince Harry 'hated woke nonsense' and 'made jokes we are no longer allowed to make' before meeting Meghan, 'We met a Princess'! He said the police department would be investigating its policies into responses and their dispatch center in the wake of Stevens' death. Since Reneau no longer works for the. See additional information. Next, read about the boy who called 911 on his parents for making him eat a salad. 'Am I not on the phone with you trying to get you some help?' 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. 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. ", "Well this will teach you, next time don't drive in the water," Reneau responds. 4.38am: 911 call received. Phase De La Lune sotrisme, ", Reneau also tells her at another point, "You're gonna have to shut up, OK?". Reneau, who had been a dispatcher . . Reneau could be heard telling Stevens to stop crying and calm down. Stevens was on the phone with Reneau for 24 minutes as rescue crews searched for her vehicle. (P. "Will you pray with me?" Sopranos star John Ventimiglia's daughter Odele dead at 25: Family is 'heartbroken' by her passing just Boris Johnson lands 500k advance for his eagerly-awaited memoir covering his time as Prime Minister. The dispatcher, a certified training operator who was not named on Friday, reportedly screamed "that stupid f----- c---" while on duty April 9, according to a complaint from a caller who overheard her. I don't know why you're freaking out. She's an experienced generalist with a passion for lifestyle, geek news, pop culture, and true crime. 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. (Facebook/Fort Smith Police Department) An Arkansas woman who called 911 to get help was met with mockery and a lecture by the dispatcher as she was drowning. The dispatcher, Donna Reneau, repeatedly told a sobbing Ms. Stevens to calm down. I dont think it would have risen to the level of terminating someone. Stevens, 47, drowned as she begged Reneau to send someone to rescue her. He said this emphasizes the need for more telecommunication training. Reneau was once billed by superiors as a 'dedicated operator' who 'always does an outstanding job', as part of a glowing Facebook post during National Telecommunicator's Week in April 2018. ', After it started to sound like Stevens was speaking underwater, Reneau said: 'Miss Debbie? 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. 4.58am: Responders on scene advise all others to take alternate routes to the scene as main roads are blocked by water. "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. Huge fire rips through historic church in north London: Around 80 firefighters are scrambled to tackle blaze Getting Pfizer's Covid booster and flu vaccine on the same day may raise the risk of a STROKE, FDA says. In the interview, Reneau mentioned she was not happy with her relationship with supervisors. She makes me sick. But, even when calm down is required, what 911 callers dont expect when theyre frantic for help is condescension and impatience from the operator, and certainly not during the last moments of their life. Feel like youre always looking at a screen? "I've never had anything happen like this before. But Reneau's handling of the dying woman's call has opened a . I don't know why you're freaking out. Forget turnipsnow eat SQUIRREL! The Fort Smith Police Department and Fire Department's investigation likely means former Fort Smith dispatcher Donna Reneau will not face charges. 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. Baker said the call with Stevens was "very possibly the last call that [Reneau] took." DONNA RENEAU. 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 recently-released recording of her 911 call that morning paints a vivid picture of her tragic final moments before she drowned. 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. You had to go right over it, she said. She also said another reason for her leaving was she felt like there was no way to "move up" within the department. Please consult your doctor before taking any action. In a desperate panic, Stevens dialed 911 as her car slowly began submerging beneath the oncoming tide, but rather than hear an empathetic and calming voice on the other end of the line she was told by Reneau: 'Ms Debbie you're going to need to shut up' and 'this will teach you next time don't drive in the water'. 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". Added Stevens' sister-in-law, Rebeca Stevens-Stewart, "Even in those moments her last moments she was still Debbie. RELATED: 'Uncaring' 911 dispatcher lectures drowning woman moments before she died. 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. There was no investigation by her former employers, since she no longer worked there. Stevens repeatedly apologized to the dispatcher, saying she didn't even see the water before she drove into it and that she had never done anything like this before. 'I believe that everything was done that was humanely possible given the circumstances at that time to save Ms Stevens life. By the time rescue crews were able to secure the car, Stevens had drowned. Dispatcher begins gathering information. By: News 9. Absolutely', he said. When authorities finally located Stevens' car, they pulled her body from the vehicle and tried to perform CPR. 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? Stevens called 911 before her death, and Reneau answered her call. In the 911 recording . See for yourself by trying this new quiz devised by cardiologists One in five teenage boys or their friends have been offered work supplying drugs by county lines gangs who Head over heels for Kate! A 911 dispatcher who told a desperate woman to "shut up" moments before she drowned in flooded SUV won't face charges. 5.16am: Rescue boat arrives and is launched. https://t.co/FqdZG2W6zZ pic.twitter.com/nlO9WLILcP, FOX 32 News (@fox32news) August 31, 2019. He needs to be fired. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. (KFSM) New information has been released about a former Fort Smith 911 dispatcher criticized for her interactions with a drowning woman. ", "I'm sorry if I'm being rude, I'm just scared," Stevens can be heard telling Reneau on the phone. Reneau's interactions with Stevens made national news. 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. Fort Smith Police Chief Danny Baker revealed Thursday that Donna Reneau (pictured) 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, Reneau, who had resigned and was working her final shift as a Fort Smith Police Department dispatcher, was the person to answer Stevens' (pictured) call at 4.38am, Reneau, who worked at the Fort Smith PD for nearly six years, was billed by superiors as a dedicated operator who always does an outstanding job, as part of a glowing Facebook post during National Telecommunicators Week in April 2018. She regretted telling her she was not going to die most of all, but she also regretted not being more kind and understanding, the report stated. Reneau does not face any criminal charges in Stevens' death. We've received your submission. Dispatcher begins gathering information. I have worked at the FSPD for almost 5 yrs now and truly care about my job and the people I talk to on a daily basis, Reneau says. Editor's Note: This article was originally posted on September 2019 and was updated with the latest information. Debra Stevens, 47, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, died after her SUV got stuck in a flash flood while she was delivering newspapers. Authorities said that when they did eventually locate her, rising waters made an immediate rescue impossible. Until August 2019, Reneau had an extremely stressful job. An internal. 5.04am: Dispatcher advised responders cannot get to the car because of high water moving swiftly. 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. 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, wrote Dean Pitts, the police departments deputy director of administration, who led the internal review. "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. There were nine officers and four 911 dispatchers on duty at the time. 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. I'm gonna drown,'" Diane recalled. 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. Reneau was working her final shift Aug. 24 when she took the call from 47-year-old Debra Stevens, a newspaper delivery woman, who later drowned as her SUV was swept away by flash flooding. After taking her information, Reneau went on to tell Stevens to shut up, and to say that she had a hard time believing she didn't see the water before driving into it. "I've never had anything happen like this before. Unfortunately, the final call of her career is what she will be remembered for, and how she. However, an investigation into our policies, our responses, our dispatch center, Ive talked to the fire chief. 4.54am: Police/fire report difficulty locating vehicle. Police acknowledged the 911 call sounded 'calloused and uncaring at times' but insisted that 'sincere efforts' were made to try and located Stevens. Police acknowledged the 911 call sounded 'calloused and uncaring at times' but insisted that 'sincere efforts' were made to try and located Stevens. Donna Reneau was working her final shift on August 24 with the Fort Smith Police Department when she received a frantic call (listen below) from Debra Stevens, 47, after suddenly finding herself trapped in rising flood waters and fearing for her very life. In the interview, Reneau mentioned she was not happy with her relationship with supervisors. 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. Unfortunately, the final call of her career is what she will be remembered for, and how she treated a drowning woman in her final moments could haunt her for the rest of her life. She was not criminally charged in the death of 47-year-old Debra Stevens'. So calm down.'. She also stated that she liked the family-oriented atmosphere. Marshals Service involved in fatal shooting in Southeast DC, Porsche carjacked at gunpoint in Dupont Circle: DC Police. EXCLUSIVE - Revealed: Carol Kirkwood's secret toyboy fianc - 13 years her junior - is a divorced police 'Digital antidepressants' to be rolled out on the NHS as health bosses give eight apps and web-based therapy BBC journalists vote 'overwhelmingly' to stage series of strikes in move that could sabotage corporation's 'This is the most ridiculous thing I've seen!' Absolutely', he said. 5.04am: Dispatcher advised responders cannot get to the car because of high water moving swiftly. At one point, Stevens even apologized for 'being rude' to the dispatcher due to her constant pleas for help. Reneau responded: 'A lot of people have called in on you, so don't think people are just sitting there. "We'll get you help and get you out of there." Debra Stevens did die. 5.16am: Rescue boat arrives and is launched. 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! Reneau said, "The ability to help people in a time of an emergency." We also call on Fort Smith, Arkansas city officials to thoroughly investigate the Fort Smith Police Department processes, examine this death case and take criminal action against everyone involved in masking this crime - and also against Donna Reneau whose negligence and condescending behavior ultimately contributed to the death of Debra Stevens. An external investigation by an outside agency is also taking place. Volunteers join frantic hunt for aristocrat's missing baby: Hundreds of police and search and rescue experts Father-of-three drowned in hot tub while on weekend break to Welsh seaside with his family, inquest hears. When Stevens called, the Fort Smith Police Department staff was stretched thin. 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. "I don't see how you didn't see it, you had to go right over it, so.". Here's what to do if it happens. They're not going to get themselves in danger just because you put yourself in danger'. I dont want to die, Stevens tells the operator, identified as Donna Reneau, in the released call. The 911 call was in EXCESS of 20 minutes. We call on Fort Smith Police Department and Fort Smith city officials to investigate and prosecute Donna Reneau for these crimes that led to this woman's death in failing to do her job. Next time don't drive in the water." 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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. Reneau's interactions with Stevens made national news. She had submitted her two-weeks' notice in early August. When Stevens explained that she hadnt seen the water coming before her car was swept up in it, Reneau made no attempt to mask her disbelief. I don't know why you're freaking out.". 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. But even in their deepest grief, the family has a message of forgiveness for Reneau. Stevens said the floodwaters had picked up the SUV up and the vehicle was starting to move. Former 911 operator Donna Reneau, who sparked widespread outrage in August for chastising Debra Stevens in her dying moments, still did her job in all of the ways that substantively mattered, officials said in a newly released internal review. 'I have worked at the FSPD for almost 5 yrs now and truly care about my job and the people I talk to on a daily basis', Reneau says. 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. En'Joy" donna reneau dispatcher apology 17 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from 'donnareneau' hashtag "I don't know why you are freaking out. 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