She's a former 911 dispatcher who used to save lives with her calls daily. Debra Stevens did 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 . Is there maybe things we need to look at in our response? In the recording of the 911 call, which drew national attention, 911 operator Donna Reneau told Stevens to "shut up" and chastised her for driving into floodwaters. 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 'It's a tragic thing, I understand that. 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. 5.02am: Responders report they have located the vehicle. ", "Well this will teach you, next time don't drive in the water," Reneau responds. Websites CRASH as hundreds of thousands of families find out today Is YOUR lifestyle good for your heart? 'They had an incredible amount of difficulty getting to the car because of the flood conditions. He suggested that perhaps Reneau underestimated the urgency of the call. 4.54am: Police/fire report difficulty locating vehicle. Oh Baby - two of FOX 5 DC's evening anchors announce they're pregnant. https://www.dailycelebuk.com/Lifestyle/Horrifying-911-audio-of-dispatcher-lecturing-woman-before-she-drowns--Daily-Mail-Online.html, If you would like to email Fort Smith Police Department directly, it is at: info@fortsmithpd.org. 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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. 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. Youre not going to die. For five years, she worked as a 911 dispatcher and she was so good at her job that she was actually certified to help other people, too. A paper delivery woman who drove into a flooded area drowned after being reprimanded by a now-former 911 dispatcher. Police in Fort Smith, Arkansas have issued an apology after a state. 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. Stevens, 47, had. 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. '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. Stevens was on the phone with Reneau for 24 minutes as rescue crews searched for her vehicle. "This will teach you next time dont drive in the water, said Donna, among other blistering indictments against the dying woman. and Reneau joined the police's Communications Center in 2013 and went on to train new hires, according to a police department post spotlighting the staffer last year as an "essential member of the . There were nine officers and four 911 dispatchers on duty at the time. 'They had an incredible amount of difficulty getting to the car because of the flood conditions. Since Reneau no longer works for the. Did they find her? Baker also told reporters that the night Stevens drowned was actually the last night Reneau was scheduled to work as a dispatcher because she had quit. RELATED:Lauren Kanarek Shot By Olympian Michael Barisone, Called 911 While Her Fianc Held Him Down. 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. An internal. For five years, she worked as a 911 dispatcher and she was so good at her job that she was actually certified to help other people, too. 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. There were nine officers and four 911 dispatchers on duty at the time. Her car had been swept . Diskretiseringsfel kan vanligtvis minskas genom att anvnda ett mer fint frdelat gitter, med en kad b Reneau was on her last day as a 911 operator when the call was made, having turned in her notice two weeks earlier. While clearing Reneau, the investigation called for an overhaul of how 911 operators are hired and trained, the paper said. It is not clear if Stevens' 911 call was the last one she took. '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. Story continues below. Thanks for contacting us. 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.. The family of a woman who drowned while . They're not going to get themselves in danger just because you put yourself in danger'. According to a news release from the Fort . (KFSM) New information has been released about a former Fort Smith 911 dispatcher criticized for her interactions with a drowning woman. He said this emphasizes the need for more telecommunication training. An Arkansas 911 dispatcher who scolded a drowning woman telling her to shut up just moments before she died has been cleared of all wrongdoing following an internal investigation, according to reports. The. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. 5 Debra's last moments were captured in a chilling 22-minute phone call Credit: Facebook "I'm scared. In the 911 recording . The Fort Smith Police Department and Fire Department's investigation likely means former Fort Smith dispatcher Donna Reneau will not face charges. Reneau had resigned from the department prior to this incident, . Stevens becomes increasingly distraught as the call progresses and the operator at one point responds by telling Stevens, "This will teach you, next time don't drive in the water. Baker said 911 had been inundated with calls at the time from people who were also stranded in flood waters. The content produced by YourTango is for informational and educational purposes only. 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. Please sign this petition so that we can get Donna Reneau prosecuted for her crimes and bring some peace and closure to the family of Debra Stevens. 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. 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. 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. 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. , updated Reneau faced no criminal charges in Stevens death. 5.58am: Rescuers get to vehicle and remove Stevens' body. 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. Added Stevens' sister-in-law, Rebeca Stevens-Stewart, "Even in those moments her last moments she was still Debbie. Reneau said, "The ability to help people in a time of an emergency." Reneau responded. Responders begin trying to get to vehicle, donning life vests and ropes. Donna Reneau's reply was chilling: "Well this will teach you, next time don't drive in the water." 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. Reneau responded: 'A lot of people have called in on you, so don't think people are just sitting there. jorge ghosn wikipdia; rver que sa belle soeur est enceinte; era immobilier olho Reneau: "This will teach you next time don't drive in the water." Stevens: "Couldn't see it ma'am. 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. iPhone users claim Apple is trying to TRICK them into Are YOU at risk of being cancelled? 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 could be heard telling the first responders searching for her: 'I'm on the phone with her now and she is legit freaking out. She's a former 911 dispatcher who used to save lives with her calls daily. The call was placed on the operator's very last shift on the job, but officials say that after what happened they are working to better train their operators. She intentional inflicted pain on another human being. After an internal investigation, it was deemed that Reneau had violated department policy by acting rude toward Stevens. Reneau had submitted her resignation earlier in August and was on her last shift when Stevenss call came in. pic.twitter.com/gduzYnLada, Susan Morris (@SLMH93) August 30, 2019. I don't know how you didn't see it, you had to go right over it. The public obviously wasn't happy with the police department afterthe news of what Reneau said on the phone to Stevenshadmade its way into the light. Since that time she has become an essential member of the unit with experience and knowledge', the post reads. "This will teach you next time don't drive in the water," Reneau said. She worked in Fort Smith, Arkansas as a 911 dispatcher. "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. Until August 2019, Reneau had an extremely stressful job. "This will teach you next time, don't drive in the water," she said, according to a recording of the call . Donna Reneau worked her final shift as a 9-1-1 dispatcher that morning, having given her two-week notice already. It is not clear if Stevens' 911 call was the last one she took. Dispatcher begins gathering information. 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. She told Baker and Solis she would consider a part-time position with the department. Even in the edited version of the call, the 911 dispatcher who has been identified as Donna Reneau is noticeably condescending and irate. . Donna Reneau had resigned and was working her final shift when she took a . 4.54am: Police/fire report difficulty locating vehicle. 911 dispatcher who scolded drowning woman won't face charges - ABC News. Third-shift supervisors do have a supervisor, but the supervisor works first-shift and Reneau said he was not available if dispatchers needed him. 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. 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. 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. 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. "The 911 call came in at 4:38 a.m. and was answered by Donna Reneau, who had previously turned in her two . Reneau also suggested dispatchers get a distress break after taking a high-stress call. 5.16am: Rescue boat arrives and is launched. Published August 31, 2019. 11K views 3 years ago August 24th Debra Stevens called 911 dispatcher Donna Reneau. The audio of the 911 call was. ', Stevens eventually asked the dispatcher to pray with her while she waited for first responders to arrive and Reneau replied: 'You go ahead and start the prayer. He needs to be fired. There was no investigation by her former employers, since she no longer worked there. 'To know you have helped someone that needed it gives you a great feeling. 'Am I not on the phone with you trying to get you some help?' 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. The call ends with Stevens screaming that she couldn't breathe as the water drowned 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. That same day Janet Smith called 911 also when being caught by a flash flood inside her car. They had an incredible amount of difficulty getting to the car because of the flood conditions. In fact, the evidence shows that while Operator Reneau spoke rudely to Mrs. Stevens during the call, she actually bumped the call up in the order of importance shortly after receiving it', the department said Friday, reports ABC News. . https://t.co/FqdZG2W6zZ pic.twitter.com/nlO9WLILcP, FOX 32 News (@fox32news) August 31, 2019. (Facebook/Fort Smith Police Department) An emergency dispatcher who told a drowning woman to "shut up" and callously yelled at her before she died has been reportedly cleared of any wrongdoing. 5.16am: Rescue boat arrives and is launched. An internal investigation by the Fort Smith police department found that Donna Reneau performed her duties as required, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. Reneau, who had been a dispatcher . 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? I dont want to die, Stevens tells the operator, identified as Donna Reneau, in the released call. I'm horribly sorry that it wasn't possible.'. Every police officer on duty is busy on other calls. "We'll get you help and get you out of there." Our website services, content and products are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Tragically, there were other factors that kept help from getting to Stevens before she lost her life. 'You're not the only one who has been stuck in the water. I dont think it would have risen to the level of terminating someone. She was also heard in the call telling Stevens to "shut up.". Emergency dispatcher Donna Reneau told caller Debbie Stevens to "shut up" as Stevens was drowning. You had to go right over it, she said. Here's what to do if it happens. 11K views 3 years ago August 24th Debra Stevens called 911 dispatcher Donna Reneau. Please consult your doctor before taking any action. Baker said 911 had been inundated with calls at the time from people who were also stranded in flood waters. 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 eventually drowned. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Stevens eventually asked the dispatcher to pray with her while she waited for first responders to arrive and Reneau replied: 'You go ahead and start the prayer'. 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