The content produced by YourTango is for informational and educational purposes only. 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. 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. 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. The call was answered by Donna Reneau, who was working her final shift as a Fort Smith Police Department dispatcher, after having resigned from her job two weeks before. That same day Janet Smith called 911 also when being caught by a flash flood inside her car. Do you really care about your brand-new phone? Reneau asked, Youre over there crying for your life. Then, when Stevens says that she is afraid that her car will explode because she sees smoke, Reneau responds, How? Thanks for contacting us. 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 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: "Please help me. (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. Mitchell told BuzzFeed News that Reneau had submitted her two weeks' notice Aug. 9. See additional information. Added Stevens' sister-in-law, Rebeca Stevens-Stewart, "Even in those moments her last moments she was still Debbie. 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. 4.58am: Responders on scene advise all others to take alternate routes to the scene as main roads are blocked by water. FORT SMITH, Ark. Reneau had submitted her resignation earlier in August and was on her last shift when Stevenss call came in. I don't know how you didn't see it, you had to go right over it. Reneau said, "The ability to help people in a time of an emergency." When you call 911, you aren't often worried about being Miss Manners. Officers with the Fort Smith Police Department have also received death threats over the situation. Reneau responded. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "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. Every police officer on duty is busy on other calls. U.S. FOX News. An internal investigation by the Fort Smith police department found that Donna Reneau performed her duties as required, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. "The 911 call came in at 4:38 a.m. and was answered by Donna Reneau, who had previously turned in her two . King World Productions Inc. 2023 Inside Edition Inc. and CBS interactive Inc., Paramount companies. 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. UPDATE: FORT SMITH, Ark. 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'. Stevens later drowned. 'It's a tragic thing, I understand that. To leave an online tribute, visitwww.edwardsfuneralhome.com. 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. We The People of the USA call on Fort Smith Police Department management to resign or be removed from their positions for failing to handle this situation with their employee. 'Am I not on the phone with you trying to get you some help?' Reneau does not face any criminal charges in Stevens' death. The water just didn't appear,' Reneau said. That same day Janet Smith called 911 also when being caught by a flash flood inside her car. The audio of the 911 call was. 5.16am: Rescue boat arrives and is launched. "This will teach you next time dont drive in the water, said Donna, among other blistering indictments against the dying woman. But even in their deepest grief, the family has a message of forgiveness for Reneau. Authorities said that when they did eventually locate her, rising waters made an immediate rescue impossible. At one point, Stevens got frantic and had this exchange with the dispatcher. Debbie Stevens (left) drowned on Aug. 24 while being scolded by 911 dispatcher Donna Reneau. She's under water now.'. She also stated that she liked the family-oriented atmosphere. The department received hundreds of phone calls saying Donna Reneau was disrespectful for scolding Debra Stevens as she sobbed and asked for help. Please consult your doctor before taking any action. 4.41am: Fire department is dispatched to the scene. A 911 dispatcher told a drowning woman to "shut up" in the moments before she died on August 24, reports said. She's a former 911 dispatcher who used to save lives with her calls daily. There were nine officers and four 911 dispatchers on duty at the time. 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. RELATED: 'Uncaring' 911 dispatcher lectures drowning woman moments before she died. 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 . 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. Is there maybe things we need to look at in our response? Story continues below. 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. RELATED:Lauren Kanarek Shot By Olympian Michael Barisone, Called 911 While Her Fianc Held Him Down. She had submitted her two-weeks' notice in early August. 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. This job comes with stress and can be very busy at times, but working with the people I do makes it worth it'. jorge ghosn wikipdia; rver que sa belle soeur est enceinte; era immobilier olho They had an incredible amount of difficulty getting to the car because of the flood conditions. Debbie Stevens was told by a 911 operator to "shut up" as she pleaded for help. Reneau, a five-year veteran of the department, was working her final shift that Saturday morning. Please help me. Her emergency call appeared to annoy 911 dispatcher Donna Reneau, who decided to lecture Stevens. pic.twitter.com/gduzYnLada, Susan Morris (@SLMH93) August 30, 2019. ", "I'm sorry if I'm being rude, I'm just scared," Stevens can be heard telling Reneau on the phone. 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. By Luke Kenton and Emily Crane For Dailymail.com, Published: 16:27 GMT, 31 August 2019 | Updated: 06:41 GMT, 23 December 2019. So calm down.'. Authorities responded to the scene 12 minutes after Stevens dialed 911, but it took more than an hour to reach Stevens' vehicle because of the floodwaters. I don't know why you're freaking out.". 17 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from 'donnareneau' hashtag Only four dispatchers were on the seven911 lines when the flooding started and nineofficers were already out trying to rescue others. Authorities said that when they did eventually locate her, rising waters made an immediate rescue impossible. However, audio of the 911 call documenting the 22 minute exchange between Reneau and Stevens was released August 29, after the dispatcher and police department faced fierce criticism for how Steven's terrified pleas for help were responded to in her final moments. 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. 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. JAMIE MITCHELL/AP. accusations that she mishandled a call with a drowning woman, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Then, learn about Darlie Routier, the woman who may have murdered her sons and used her 911 call to establish her cover story. 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 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. Now, herfamily is speaking out, telling Inside Edition they arefurious at the handling of her emergency. Is there maybe things we need to look at in our response? Stevens first called Diane when she became trapped. The first crews arrived on the scene about ten minutes later but had difficulty identifying Stevens exact location due to the high waters. Donna Reneau worked her final shift as a 9-1-1 dispatcher that morning, having given her two-week notice already. No criminal investigation will happen. Please help me. I'm horribly sorry that it wasn't possible'. 4.38am: 911 call received. 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. 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. 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'. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Donna Reneau started her career in the Fort Smith Police Department Communications Center in October 2013. 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