Unfortunately, in the process, she got trapped by flash flooding. Dispatcher begins gathering information. Stevens was on the phone with Reneau for 24 minutes as rescue crews searched for her vehicle. She makes me sick. "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. Debbie Stevens (left) drowned on Aug. 24 while being scolded by 911 dispatcher Donna Reneau. 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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. I'm horribly sorry that it wasn't possible'. That said, he believes it is just people lashing out because they are upset and thatthere isnt anything that would rise to a threat level of concern, as most appear to be from out-of-state and include no specificity.". 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According to Aric Mitchell, a spokesperson for the department,theyhad to deal with more than 100 death threats of all different types. 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'. Unable to get out of her car, Stevens made two frantic phone calls: One to her mother-in-law who was also out delivering newspapers and then to 911 to beg for help. She worked in Fort Smith, Arkansas as a 911 dispatcher. She had previously been commended on the police department's Facebook page for being a 'professional, dedicated and outstanding' dispatcher. 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. and That same day Janet Smith called 911 also when being caught by a flash flood inside her car. I'm going to drown! 08:10 GMT 23 Dec 2019. 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? ", RELATED:Awful New Details Revealed About The Teen Who Died After Being Crushed In A Parked Minivan Despite Calling 911 Twice. 4:01 pm. They just weren't able to get to her on time, Mitchell said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Reneau's interactions with Stevens made national news. Donna Reneau, who had resigned and was working her final shift as a Fort Smith Police Department dispatcher, was the person to answer Stevens' call at 4.38am . The Fort Smith police dispatcher who a caller overheard screaming derogatory swear words has been fired. 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. 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. Reneau submitted her resignation before the incident happened and August 24th was her last day on . She's an experienced generalist with a passion for lifestyle, geek news, pop culture, and true crime. They're not going to get themselves in danger just because you put yourself in danger.'. 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. Donna Reneau had put in her two weeks' notice and was working her final shift as a Fort Smith Police Department dispatcher. By: News 9. "I do forgive her, even though it's hard," said Rebeca. 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. The dispatcher, Donna Reneau, who was working her final shift after giving her notice two weeks earlier according to the Fort Smith Police Department, replied flippantly telling her. ", Reneau also tells her at another point, "You're gonna have to shut up, OK?". Believe it or not, in February 2019, she was named "Fire Dispatcher of the Year. They said the 911 operator had dispatched Fort Smith Fire and Police units to help her but it made it difficult because she couldn't describe her exact location. 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. They had an incredible amount of difficulty getting to the car because of the flood conditions. Prince Harry 'hated woke nonsense' and 'made jokes we are no longer allowed to make' before meeting Meghan, 'We met a Princess'! '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. I know the water level is high but you freaking out is doing nothing but losing your oxygen so calm down', Reneau said in the audio. Stevens first called Diane when she became trapped. 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. I don't know why you're freaking out. 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 moments before she drowned. FORT SMITH, Ark. 4.54am: Police/fire report difficulty locating vehicle. Every police officer on duty is busy on other calls. Reneau also suggested dispatchers get a distress break after taking a high-stress 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. Every police officer on duty is busy on other calls. Once Stevens called 911 after she got stuck in her car, she was met with an unsympathetic dispatcher who scolded her multiple times even in her final moments of life. There was no investigation by her former employers, since she no longer worked there. Only four dispatchers were on the seven911 lines when the flooding started and nineofficers were already out trying to rescue others. Quoted as part of the post, Reneau brags about how much she values the work that she does and cares about those in need who call in for help. 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Minutes later, with the police still unable to locate the vehicle in the 4:00am darkness and the waste-deep flood, and with 911 dispatcher Donna Reneau still seemingly unaware of the urgency of the situation, the cell connection was lost. Baker said Thursday that Donna Reneau was working her final shift Aug. 24, when Debra Stevens died. 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 . Stevens explained on the call that she was trapped in her car and that the water flooding the interior was already up to her chest and to make matters worse, she couldn't swim. She also said another reason for her leaving was she felt like there was no way to "move up" within the department. 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. (P. "Will you pray with me?" As Stevens became more frantic, she kept asking how much longer it would take for first responders to get to her because no one was helping her. At one point, Stevens even apologized for 'being rude' to the dispatcher due to her constant pleas for help. However, an investigation into our policies, our responses, our dispatch center, Ive talked to the fire chief. The. Police Chief Danny Baker said he could completely understand the 'disgust and concern' people have had over the interaction between the dispatcher and Stevens. 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. A 911 operator who lectured a drowning woman for accidentally driving into rising floodwaters in Arkansas and told her to 'shut up' minutes before she died will not be facing charges after an internal investigation. 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'. 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. She begged for the dispatcher to send help and said she was scared. When asked why she was leaving her position at the police department, Reneau said she wanted to return to school. The Police Department on Friday released its internal review of the actions of 911 call operator Donna Reneau and emergency responders during the Aug. 24 drowning of Debra Stevens, a newspaper. Did they find her? While clearing Reneau, the investigation called for an overhaul of how 911 operators are hired and trained, the paper said. JAMIE MITCHELL/AP. Will you do the same? The dispatcher, Donna Reneau, repeatedly told a sobbing Ms. Stevens to calm down. "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. 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. It is so unfortunate that her entire career willbe defined by this single incident. "She was brokenhearted.". She intentional inflicted pain on another human being. I'm sorry . FORT SMITH, Ark. Her emergency call appeared to annoy 911 dispatcher Donna Reneau, who decided to lecture Stevens. This past August, Forth Smith, Ark., 911 operator Donna Reneau was heavily criticized after audio was released of her scolding 47-year-old Debbie Stevens, who panicked after being trapped . 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. Birds of a feather really DO flock together! I CANT BREATHE!, Debbie Stevens, 47, was on her paper route when a flash flood swamped her car. She says the vehicle is now moving in the water. 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 He said the police department would be investigating its policies into responses and their dispatch center in the wake of Stevens' death. The dispatcher then apologized to her while laughing, she stated. Debra Stevens did die. 'It's a tragic thing, I understand that. 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. Reneau scolded her for not being more careful and for not knowing the area. Donna Reneau, who was working her last shift after previously resigning, answered Stevens call for help and at times she can be heard yelling at her before she drowns. No criminal investigation will happen. "She was brokenhearted.". There were other factors that contributed to what went wrong. Furious motorist is fined 650 after council worker paints disabled bay around his parked car. She was later found dead. 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. 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. FORT SMITH, Ark. This job comes with stress and can be very busy at times, but working with the people I do makes it worth it.. 'To know you have helped someone that needed it gives you a great feeling. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Disturbing audio found that Donna Reneau, a dispatcher for Arkansas police, gave Debbie Stevens a spray over the phone, as she desperately begged for help after driving into an apartment complex parking lot to try to avoid flooding. 'You're not going to die. An internal. I'm gonna drown,'" Diane recalled. "How Mrs. Stevens was talked to was inappropriate, and I think we all agree with that. Quoted as part of the post, Reneau brags about how much she values the work that she does and cares about those in need who call in for help. Our website services, content and products are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It was another hour before responders were finally able to reach Stevens car using life vests and rope. 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. Next time don't drive in the water." Congratulations to Donna Reneau for being selected as the Fire Dispatcher of the Year! 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. King World Productions Inc. 2023 Inside Edition Inc. and CBS interactive Inc., Paramount companies. ", The department received hundreds of phone calls saying Reneau was disrespectful for scolding Stevens as she sobbed and asked for help and for telling her this will teach you next time dont drive in the water., Debra Stevens, 47, pictured left was on her regular newspaper route when a flash flood swept up her car. . "I don't know why you are freaking out. An internal investigation by the Fort Smith police department found that Donna Reneau performed her duties as required, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. According to a news release from the Fort . 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. Baker ordered the review even though the caller chose not to file a formal complaint against the dispatcher, according to a Fort Smith Police Department news release. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. Hopefully, the changes they make to their policies get them back in the good graces of the people. So now he is demanding an apology. Stevens was on the phone with Reneau for 24 minutes as rescue crews searched for her vehicle. 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. Police acknowledged the 911 call sounded 'calloused and uncaring at times' but insisted that 'sincere efforts' were made to try and located Stevens. 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!' I'm scared! 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