This petition starter stood up and took action. 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 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. 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. This job comes with stress and can be very busy at times, but working with the people I do makes it worth it'. Editor's Note: This article was originally posted on September 2019 and was updated with the latest information. I don't know why you're freaking out. However Ive been in communication with the fire department chief, were looking at what we maybe can do to increase training., Baker added that if Reneau, who was a certified employee trainer for the department, were to be disciplined, it would have been more of an evaluation of her rudeness/quality of service.. 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. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. By When do the clocks change in 2023? 'Am I not on the phone with you trying to get you some help?' She's an experienced generalist with a passion for lifestyle, geek news, pop culture, and true crime. I'm going to drown! Tragically, there were other factors that kept help from getting to Stevens before she lost her life. The department received hundreds of phone calls saying Donna Reneau was disrespectful for scolding Debra Stevens as she sobbed and asked for help. 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. However, an investigation into our policies, our responses, our dispatch center, Ive talked to the fire chief. 4.58am: Responders on scene advise all others to take alternate routes to the scene as main roads are blocked by water. She was still genuine and sincere and kind and lovingand respectful.". An internal. Please consult your doctor before taking any action. 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. ', 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. 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. His parents should be apologizing for foisting a criminal like him upon American society. Furious motorist is fined 650 after council worker paints disabled bay around his parked car. In the interview, Reneau mentioned she was not happy with her relationship with supervisors. 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. Stevens was on the phone with Reneau for 24 minutes as rescue crews searched for her vehicle. We are looking at what we can do to increase training for our dispatchers, swift water rescues, and other things.. Flamingos form CLIQUES with like-minded pals, study finds. Here's what we know about Donna Reneau, the 911 call, and the fallout of her actions. Did they find her? 4.54am: Police/fire report difficulty locating vehicle. He said this emphasizes the need for more telecommunication training. When asked what would better work conditions at the police department Reneau said she wanted to answer with a quote. It is not clear if Stevens' 911 call was the last one she took. 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'. 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. In the report, Pitts wrote Reneaus actions wouldnt have merited being fired and that its often necessary to take a stern or commanding tone, or to even raise ones voice when dealing with someone who may be hysterical in a critical incident. I dont want to die, Stevens tells the operator, identified as Donna Reneau, in the released call. pic.twitter.com/gduzYnLada, Susan Morris (@SLMH93) August 30, 2019. Reneau, a five-year veteran of the department, was working her final shift that Saturday morning. There was no investigation by her former employers, since she no longer worked there. Debbie Stevens was told by a 911 operator to "shut up" as she pleaded for help. 'It's a tragic thing, I understand that. 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 do think that that played a big role in her death," Diane said. Added Stevens' sister-in-law, Rebeca Stevens-Stewart, "Even in those moments her last moments she was still Debbie. "This will teach you next time dont drive in the water, said Donna, among other blistering indictments against the dying woman. When Stevens called, the Fort Smith Police Department staff was stretched thin. The 911 call was in EXCESS of 20 minutes. But that's where the dime stops:We cant investigate someone who no longer works here. See additional information. I don't know why you're freaking out. "She said, 'Please come help me, pull me out of the water, I'm stranded and I don't want to die today. Absolutely,' he said. The content produced by YourTango is for informational and educational purposes only. She begged for the dispatcher to send help and said she was scared. 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. Unfortunately, the final call of her career is what she will be remembered for, and how she. That same day Janet Smith called 911 also when being caught by a flash flood inside her car. Rebecca Jane Stokesis a writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cats, Batman and Margot. 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. 5.02am: Responders report they have located the vehicle. 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. 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. Her actions should make everyone sick. The water just didn't appear', Reneau said. Reneau put in her two weeks notice before the woman's drowning, and. and (KFSM) A former Fort Smith 911 dispatcher accused of mishandling a call with a drowning woman has been cleared of wrongdoing following . Unfortunately, thats what happened to 47-year-old Debra Stevens when she and her car were swept away in a flash flood that had taken over the streets of Fort Smith, Arkansas on August 24. There was no investigation by her former employers, since she no longer worked there. Debbie Stevens (left) drowned on Aug. 24 while being scolded by 911 dispatcher Donna Reneau. ", Reneau also tells her at another point, "You're gonna have to shut up, OK?". Donna Reneau was working her last shift as a dispatcher for the Fort Smith Police Department on Aug. 24 when she received a call from Debra Stevens, according to KFTA-TV. 5.02am: Responders report they have located the vehicle. ', 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. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. I don't know why you're freaking out.". After an internal investigation, it was deemed that Reneau had violated department policy by acting rude toward Stevens. 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. 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? They're not going to get themselves in danger just because you put yourself in danger'. Dispatcher begins gathering information. 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. I dont want to die, she said. When asked why she was leaving her position at the police department, Reneau said she wanted to return to school. Congratulations to Donna Reneau for being selected as the Fire Dispatcher of the Year! Feel like youre always looking at a screen? Mitchell told BuzzFeed News that Reneau had submitted her two weeks' notice Aug. 9. Reneau's actions are now being investigated by the Fort Smith PD. FORT SMITH, Ark. 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. 4.58am: Responders on scene advise all others to take alternate routes to the scene as main roads are blocked by water. Until August 2019, Reneau had an extremely stressful job. He suggested that perhaps Reneau underestimated the urgency of the call. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. 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 help me. Now, herfamily is speaking out, telling Inside Edition they arefurious at the handling of her emergency. Reneau had submitted her resignation earlier in August and was on her last shift when Stevenss call came in. 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. 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." 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. Absolutely', he said. jorge ghosn wikipdia; rver que sa belle soeur est enceinte; era immobilier olho She was later found dead. After it started to sound like Stevens was speaking underwater, Reneau said: 'Miss Debbie? Reneau had turned in her. Stevens asked Reneau if the police would take her home after she was rescued so she could care for her dogs. 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. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Third-shift supervisors do have a supervisor, but the supervisor works first-shift and Reneau said he was not available if dispatchers needed him. Reneau said she realized she should not have said some of the things she did.. 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. Meanwhile, the department's investigation into the matter is ongoing. 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. FORT SMITH, Ark. While Reneau's boss agreed that the way she spoke to Stevenswasn't ideal, he did admit that it wasn't so bad that he would ever have considered firing a dispatcher for it. FORT SMITH, Ark. Operator Donna Reneau took that call at 4:38am. - 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. In the 911 recording . Debra Stevens did die. 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. 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. A 911 dispatcher told a drowning woman to "shut up" in the moments before she died on August 24, reports said. (Jamie Mitchell/The Southwest Times Record via AP) Time was running out for Debra Stevens. 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. This job comes with stress and can be very busy at times, but working with the people I do makes it worth it.. Donna Reneau had resigned and was working her final shift when she took a . Stevens, 47, drowned as she begged Reneau to send someone to rescue her. 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. The dispatcher told her to "shut up" & "Well, this will teach you. 'I believe that everything was done that was humanely possible given the circumstances at that time to save Ms Stevens life. - 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. I cant get out and Im scared to death, maam. Frantic Families Trapped in Their Homes and Running Out of Food After Massive Snowstorm Cripples California, 3 Female Bodybuilders Say League Owner's Son Sexually Exploited Them While Their Careers Hung in the Balance, Innocent Michigan Man, 71, Walks Free After 2 Decades in Prison Thanks to True Crime Coverage of His Case, Lindsay Clancy: Timeline of Events in the Case of Massachusetts Mom Accused of Killing Her 3 Children, Abby Choi Case: Police Scour Landfill Searching for Dismembered Model's Missing Torso, Hands and Arms, 2 Missing Women Found Alive by Maine Game Wardens After Being Stuck in Their Car in Freezing Temperatures. Baker said Thursday that Donna Reneau was working her final shift Aug. 24, when Debra Stevens died. Operator Donna Reneau took that call at 4:38am. Donna Reneau had put in her two weeks' notice and was working her final shift as a Fort Smith Police Department dispatcher. King World Productions Inc. 2023 Inside Edition Inc. and CBS interactive Inc., Paramount companies. Prince Harry 'hated woke nonsense' and 'made jokes we are no longer allowed to make' before meeting Meghan, 'We met a Princess'! She's under water now.'. 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'. 5.16am: Rescue boat arrives and is launched. 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. 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? (P. "Will you pray with me?" I'm sorry . 2023byTango Publishing Corporation All Rights Reserved. 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 . Did they find her? 'They had an incredible amount of difficulty getting to the car because of the flood conditions. The comments below have not been moderated, By Reneau responded. Until August 2019, Reneau had an extremely stressful job. He needs to be fired. Thank you for your dedicated service Donna'! Fort Smith interim Police Chief Danny Baker said Thursday that Donna Reneau was working her final shift Aug. 24 when Debra Stevens died. The woman's call was answered by dispatcher Donna Reneau (pictured above), who was working her last shift as a 911 operator after she resigned earlier this month. 'It's a tragic thing, I understand that. The dispatcher, Donna Reneau, repeatedly told a sobbing Ms. Stevens to calm down. 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. She says the vehicle is now moving in the water. Unfortunately, in the process, she got trapped by flash flooding. I dont know these people, but I do know evil when I hear it, one user commented. 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. 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