Ralph R. Ortega For Dailymail.com Reneau had turned in her. 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. 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. ', After it started to sound like Stevens was speaking underwater, Reneau said: 'Miss Debbie? 4.41am: Fire department is dispatched to the scene. 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. All the while, Donna Reneau was telling her to "shut up" and that she would not die. By Added Stevens' sister-in-law, Rebeca Stevens-Stewart, "Even in those moments her last moments she was still Debbie. We've received your submission. Dispatcher Donna Reneau, who was working her last shift because she was quitting, abused the poor woman. 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 . Reneau put in her two weeks notice before the woman's drowning, and. It is not clear if Stevens' 911 call was the last one she took. 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. 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. For every one of us, saving lives is at the very core of who we are and why we do what we do. Operator Donna Reneau took that call at 4:38am. 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. Reneau said, "The ability to help people in a time of an emergency." As Stevens began to panic, Reneau's responses . Did they find her? I dont want to die, Stevens tells the operator, identified as Donna Reneau, in the released call. 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. She was also heard in the call telling Stevens to "shut up.". 911 dispatcher, Donna Reneau, who was working her last shift after putting in her two weeks notice, is under fire for her "uncaring" response. https://t.co/FqdZG2W6zZ pic.twitter.com/nlO9WLILcP, FOX 32 News (@fox32news) August 31, 2019. ', 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. Published August 31, 2019. By Luke Kenton and Emily Crane For Dailymail.com, Published: 16:27 GMT, 31 August 2019 | Updated: 06:41 GMT, 23 December 2019. - 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. Reneau faced no criminal charges in Stevens death. "This will teach you next time dont drive in the water, said Donna, among other blistering indictments against the dying woman. The comments below have not been moderated, By In the 911 recording . ", 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. 4.38am: 911 call received. Birds of a feather really DO flock together! JAMIE MITCHELL/AP. 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 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." 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. 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. Police acknowledged the 911 call sounded 'calloused and uncaring at times' but insisted that 'sincere efforts' were made to try and located Stevens. Next time don't drive in the water." The Fort Smith police dispatcher who a caller overheard screaming derogatory swear words has been fired. 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 22-minutes 9-1-1 call, which she was thankful that Baker "personally reached out to her to check on her after the traumatic incident". She's a former 911 dispatcher who used to save lives with her calls daily. Dispatcher begins gathering information. The face of #EVIL #donnareneau. 5.58am: Rescuers get to vehicle and remove Stevens' body. Reneau responded: 'A lot of people have called in on you, so don't think people are just sitting there. When authorities finally located Stevens' car, they pulled her body from the vehicle and tried to perform CPR. 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? We are looking at what we can do to increase training for our dispatchers, swift water rescues, and other things.. Reneau responded. Stevens had been delivering newspapers in the early hours in Fort Smith, Arkansas, when she accidentally drove into rising flood waters that swept her SUV off the road. According to a news release from the Fort . She's under water now'. Did they find her? 4:01 pm. Baker acknowledged Reneau would have faced disciplinary action if she still worked with the department but said he couldn't see anything that would have been cause for termination or a criminal investigation. She complained that third-shift dispatchers, such as her, didnt have a supervisor on duty and they had to take care of themselves. "This will teach you next time don't drive in the water," Reneau said. "I've never had anything happen like this before. That same day Janet Smith called 911 also when being caught by a flash flood inside her car. So calm down'. 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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. 5.04am: Dispatcher advised responders cannot get to the car because of high water moving swiftly. 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. 'No evidence of criminal negligence or activities on former Operator Reneau's part. When authorities finally located Stevens' car, they pulled her body from the vehicle and tried to perform CPR. Arkansas 911 Dispatcher Tells Woman To 'Shut Up' As She Drowns To Death, Lauren Kanarek Shot By Olympian Michael Barisone, Called 911 While Her Fianc Held Him Down, Awful New Details Revealed About The Teen Who Died After Being Crushed In A Parked Minivan Despite Calling 911 Twice, Groom Invites His Nephews To His Wedding But Excludes Brother's Stepdaughter Her Mom Is Debating Whether To Attend, What Jon Hamm Says Changed His Mind About Marriage After Swearing It Off During His 18-Year Relationship With Jennifer Westfeldt, Man Insists Landlords Should Get Tipped By Tenants If They're Going To Tip Baristas, New Details About A Baby Who Was Accidentally Locked Inside A Hot Car And Why A 911 Operator Refused To Send Police To Help. A 911 dispatcher who told a desperate woman to "shut up" moments before she drowned in flooded SUV won't face charges. Reneau: "This will teach you next time don't drive in the water." Stevens: "Couldn't see it ma'am. and Donna Reneau was working her final shift on August 24 with the Fort Smith Police Department when she received a frantic call (listen below) from Debra Stevens, 47, after suddenly finding herself trapped in rising flood waters and fearing for her very life. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. When asked, "What did you like most about your job?" 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. (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. ", Reneau also tells her at another point, "You're gonna have to shut up, OK?". "The 911 call came in at 4:38 a.m. and was answered by Donna Reneau, who had previously turned in her two . 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 . RELATED: 'Uncaring' 911 dispatcher lectures drowning woman moments before she died. Authorities said that when they did eventually locate her, rising waters made an immediate rescue impossible. She was not criminally charged in the death of 47-year-old Debra Stevens'. It is so unfortunate that her entire career willbe defined by this single incident. 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. Stevens repeatedly told the dispatcher that she was going to die because the water was rising up past her chest and had engulfed the inside of her SUV. I don't know how you didn't see it, you had to go right over it. Ralph R. Ortega For Dailymail.com Is there maybe things we need to look at in our response? According to the news release, When first responders were finally able to reach Mrs. Stevens and extract her from the vehicle, she had tragically succumbed to drowning., Fort Smith Police Chief Danny Baker says the dispatcher that took the 911 of Debra Stevens is not employed with the city anymore. 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're not going to get themselves in danger just because you put yourself in danger.'. Thank you for your dedicated service Donna'! 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