', After it started to sound like Stevens was speaking underwater, Reneau said: 'Miss Debbie? 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 put in her two weeks notice before the woman's drowning, and. Emily Crane For Dailymail.com FORT SMITH, Ark. Did they find her? ', 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. Bettering work conditions 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 . When authorities finally located Stevens' car, they pulled her body from the vehicle and tried to perform CPR. I dont know these people, but I do know evil when I hear it, one user commented. "You go ahead and start off the prayer, and I'll listen to you," Reneau responds. 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. 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. Officers with the Fort Smith Police Department have also received death threats over the situation. 5.16am: Rescue boat arrives and is launched. So calm down'. and I dont want to die, she repeated. 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. Her car had been swept . I dont want to die, she said. 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. 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. Meanwhile, the department's investigation into the matter is ongoing. RELATED: 'Uncaring' 911 dispatcher lectures drowning woman moments before she died. glasfiberpool installation. When first responders were finally able to reach Stevens and remove her from her car, she had already drowned. The Fort Smith Police Department and Fire Department's investigation likely means former Fort Smith dispatcher Donna Reneau will not face charges. 2023 FOX Television Stations, in the 22-minute 911 call previously released by police, 'Uncaring' 911 dispatcher lectures drowning woman moments before she died, NFL owners to discuss Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder at upcoming meeting: AP source, Elderly couple dead in possible murder-suicide in Fairfax County: police, Southeast triple shooting suspect identified by police, Wreckage of US Navy submarine from World War II found off Japans coast, U.S. UPDATE: FORT SMITH, Ark. 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. Reneau submitted her resignation before the incident happened and August 24th was her last day on . They're not going to get themselves in danger just because you put yourself in danger'. 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. 4.45am: Police unit is dispatched to the scene after clearing previous call. Newly released 911 audio reveals the final moments of an Arkansas newspaper delivery woman as she drowned in her car. All Rights Reserved. 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! When Stevens called, the Fort Smith Police Department staff was stretched thin. 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 was brokenhearted.". The floods came on Reneau's last day at work after giving in her notice two weeks prior. She said she felt like those that worked the third shift never saw a supervisor, and when people on her shift attempted to call a supervisor, they did not answer. Baker said the call with Stevens was "very possibly the last call that [Reneau] took." 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. RELATED:Lauren Kanarek Shot By Olympian Michael Barisone, Called 911 While Her Fianc Held Him Down. So calm down'. Please consult your doctor before taking any action. Absolutely', he said. Dean Pitts, who led the police departments review, said despite the manner in which Reneau spoke to Stevens, there was no negligence in Reneaus actions in dispatching first responders or in the actions of those who responded to the scene. 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. Here's what we know about Donna Reneau, the 911 call, and the fallout of her actions. 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. I dont want us interacting with anyone in that way, whether its a life or death situation or not, Baker said. For every one of us, saving lives is at the very core of who we are and why we do what we do. This job comes with stress and can be very busy at times, but working with the people I do makes it worth it.. Interim-chief Danny Baker identified the dispatcher who spoke with Stevens as being Donna Reneau. 'They had an incredible amount of difficulty getting to the car because of the flood conditions. King World Productions Inc. 2023 Inside Edition Inc. and CBS interactive Inc., Paramount companies. We've received your submission. Every police officer on duty is busy on other calls. 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'. (P. "Will you pray with me?" Prince Harry 'hated woke nonsense' and 'made jokes we are no longer allowed to make' before meeting Meghan, 'We met a Princess'! 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. She also stated that she liked the family-oriented atmosphere. Published August 31, 2019. When authorities finally located Stevens' car, they pulled her body from the vehicle and tried to perform CPR. 5.00am: 911 call is disconnected between caller and dispatch. (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. 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. '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. 06:54 GMT 23 Dec 2019 She was also heard in the call telling Stevens to "shut up.". U.S. FOX News. 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. 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". Reneau was on her last day as a 911 operator when the call was made, having turned in her notice two weeks earlier. 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. She begged for the dispatcher to send help and said she was scared. Ralph R. Ortega For Dailymail.com Dispatcher begins gathering information. The family of a woman who drowned while a 911 operator appeared to mock her say they are appalled by the handling of her emergency, but they forgive the operator. 'Am I not on the phone with you trying to get you some help?' "I do forgive her, even though it's hard," said Rebeca. Story continues below. and 4.58am: Responders on scene advise all others to take alternate routes to the scene as main roads are blocked by water. Authorities said that when they did eventually locate her, rising waters made an immediate rescue impossible. 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. 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.". FORT SMITH, Ark. Scotland's Quest For The Missing Remains Of Lilias Adie, An Accused Witch Who Killed Herself, The True Story Of Hattori Hanz: From 16th-Century Japan To Kill Bill, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. It is not clear if Stevens' 911 call was the last one she took. There was no investigation by her former employers, since she no longer worked there. 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 don't know why you're freaking out. The 911 call was in EXCESS of 20 minutes. 4.38am: 911 call received. Stevens later drowned. (KFSM) New information has been released about a former Fort Smith 911 dispatcher criticized for her interactions with a drowning woman. All of our first responders who attempted to save Mrs. Stevens are distraught over the outcome. Reneau's interactions with Stevens made national news. (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. "She said, 'Please come help me, pull me out of the water, I'm stranded and I don't want to die today. 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. August 30, 2019 06:45 PM A woman drowned in a flash flood in Arkansas on Saturday after calling 911 to say she was trapped in her car as water was rising around her. Stevens, 47, had. (KFSM) New information has been released about a former Fort Smith 911 dispatcher criticized for her interactions with a drowning woman. "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. 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. Debbie Stevens, 47, pictured left was on her regular newspaper route when a flash flood swept up her car. Reneau had turned in her. - 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 acknowledged the 911 call sounded 'calloused and uncaring at times' but insisted that 'sincere efforts' were made to try and located Stevens. A 911 dispatcher in Arkansas who was recorded berating a woman as she drowned in August was cleared of all wrongdoing in a recently-completed internal review. 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. "We'll get you help and get you out of there." She was not criminally charged in the death of 47-year-old Debra Stevens'. This petition starter stood up and took action. - 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. She intentional inflicted pain on another human being. 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 . Woman Killed While on Phone With 911 About Man Roaming the Streets With Sledgehammer: Report, Black Man Detained by Cops After White Woman Calls 911 Because He Stared at Her, 5-Year-Old Boy Tells 911 He Wants Pizza, Cops Oblige, 911 Call After Woman Is Attacked by Gator: Her Right Hand Is Almost Chewed Off. 5.16am: Rescue boat arrives and is launched. 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. Who is Donna Reneau? 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. 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. "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, who had been a dispatcher . "I've never had anything happen like this before. 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. 'Am I not on the phone with you trying to get you some help?' DONNA RENEAU. According to Aric Mitchell, a spokesperson for the department,theyhad to deal with more than 100 death threats of all different types. 'You're not the only one who has been stuck in the water. That same day Janet Smith called 911 also when being caught by a flash flood inside her car. However, she was once 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. 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. In the 911 recording . Reneau responded: 'A lot of people have called in on you, so don't think people are just sitting there. Thank you for your dedicated service Donna'! FORT SMITH, Ark. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. 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's under water now'. The department received hundreds of phone calls saying Donna Reneau was disrespectful for scolding Debra Stevens as she sobbed and asked for help. 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. 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. 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? 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. 'It's a tragic thing, I understand that. 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. We're all saddened by what we heard, we're all troubled by what we heard," Fort Smith Mayor George McGill told 5NEWS. 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. Dispatcher begins gathering information. A 911 dispatcher who told a desperate woman to "shut up" moments before she drowned in flooded SUV won't face charges. Operator Donna Reneau took that call at 4:38am. Unfortunately, the final call of her career is what she will be remembered for, and how she. 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. Debbie Stevens (left) drowned on Aug. 24 while being scolded by 911 dispatcher Donna Reneau. Reneau also suggested dispatchers get a distress break after taking a high-stress call. Debbie Stevens, 47, who was trapped as floodwaters [] A date has not been set for a memorial service for Stevens. Stevens: "Please help me. 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. 17 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from 'donnareneau' hashtag The Fort Smith police dispatcher who a caller overheard screaming derogatory swear words has been fired. The manner that she spoke during this conversation would have probably been addressed, but it would have been more a rudeness quality-type service complaint. 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. Third-shift supervisors do have a supervisor, but the supervisor works first-shift and Reneau said he was not available if dispatchers needed him. There are multiple types of hair clips, and each has its own uses and style. On August 24, Stevens called 911 at 4:38 a.m. and told Reneau shed been delivering newspapers for the Southwest Times Record when a flash flood washed her SUV off the road. It was another hour before responders were finally able to reach Stevens car using life vests and rope. Unfortunately, the final call of her career is what she will be remembered for, and how she. Please help me. Baker said 911 had been inundated with calls at the time from people who were also stranded in flood waters. Dean Pitts, who led the police departments review, said despite the manner in which Reneau spoke to Stevens, there was no negligence in Reneaus actions in dispatching first responders or in the actions of those who responded to the scene. Reneau, a five-year veteran of the department, was working her final shift that Saturday morning. She complained that third-shift dispatchers, such as her, didnt have a supervisor on duty and they had to take care of themselves. She makes me sick. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. In December 2019, the police released their internal review on Reneau. He said at the time that the police department would be investigating its policies into responses and their dispatch center in the wake of Stevens' death. Female carer who bit off part of a pub landlady's ear during vicious bar brawl is jailed for 14 months. 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. 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."
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