Emily Crane For Dailymail.com Reneau, a five-year veteran of the department, was working her final shift that Saturday morning. 'It's a tragic thing, I understand that. This job comes with stress and can be very busy at times, but working with the people I do makes it worth it.. Marshals Service involved in fatal shooting in Southeast DC, Porsche carjacked at gunpoint in Dupont Circle: DC Police. Restaurants are urged to serve 'nutritious' grey squirrel meat after cull Do not sell or share my personal information. (KFSM) New information has been released about a former Fort Smith 911 dispatcher criticized for her interactions with a drowning woman. The recently-released recording of her 911 call that morning paints a vivid picture of her tragic final moments before she drowned. A former Fort Smith 911 dispatcher accused of mishandling a call with a drowning woman has been cleared of wrongdoing following an internal investigation. 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. ", "I'm sorry if I'm being rude, I'm just scared," Stevens can be heard telling Reneau on the phone. Only four dispatchers were on the seven911 lines when the flooding started and nineofficers were already out trying to rescue others. Reneau had worked for the Fort Smith Police Department for five years, serving as a certified trainer for new employees, and was named fire dispatcher of the year in February, according to. 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. Reneau's interactions with Stevens made national news. 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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". jorge ghosn wikipdia; rver que sa belle soeur est enceinte; era immobilier olho "I do forgive her, even though it's hard," said Rebeca. The audio of the 911 call was. Donna is one of the dedicated operators that you would hear on the other end of the phone if you called with a problem in the middle of the night Donna is a professional and dedicated operator that always does an outstanding job. It is not clear if Stevens' 911 call was the last one she took. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. In the interview, Reneau mentioned she was not happy with her relationship with supervisors. Debra Stevens, 47, pictured left was on her regular newspaper route when a flash flood swept up her car. "How Mrs. Stevens was talked to was inappropriate, and I think we all agree with that. 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. 4.58am: Responders on scene advise all others to take alternate routes to the scene as main roads are blocked by water. All Rights Reserved. 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 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. Debra Stevens did die. A rescue boat was launched at 5:16 a.m. however, first responders werent able to reach Stevens until 5:58 a.m. Debbie Stevens, 47, called the. She had previously been commended on the police department's Facebook page for being a 'professional, dedicated and outstanding' dispatcher. Please help me. Reneau also suggested dispatchers get a distress break after taking a high-stress call. 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. accusations that she mishandled a call with a drowning woman, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. 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. By: News 9. 'It's a tragic thing, I understand that. So calm down'. Luke Kenton For Dailymail.com Thanks for contacting us. The. 'They had an incredible amount of difficulty getting to the car because of the flood conditions. Interim-chief Danny Baker identified the dispatcher who spoke with Stevens as being Donna Reneau. Reneau faced no criminal charges in Stevens death. 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. 4.54am: Police/fire report difficulty locating vehicle. 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. 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. ', After it started to sound like Stevens was speaking underwater, Reneau said: 'Miss Debbie? 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. 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. and 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. Baker said Thursday that Donna Reneau was working her final shift Aug. 24, when Debra Stevens died. Debra Stevens repeatedly asked for help during the call, but was . 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. Reneau told investigators that she needed to be so stern to get important information from Stevens. 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. '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. 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. Bodycam video released by the Fort Smith Police Department shows first responders searching for Stevens' car when she called 911 to say she was trapped in flood waters, 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. She worked in Fort Smith, Arkansas as a 911 dispatcher. The content produced by YourTango is for informational and educational purposes only. 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. The Associated Press contributed. Stevens asked Reneau if the police would take her home after she was rescued so she could care for her dogs. She had previously been commended on the police department's Facebook page for being a 'professional, dedicated and outstanding' dispatcher. Stevens screamed as the water level crept up inside her car, which was stranded in floodwater. 'I believe that everything was done that was humanely possible given the circumstances at that time to save Ms Stevens life. She hasn't been charged with any crime. "I do think that that played a big role in her death," Diane said. Mitchell told BuzzFeed News that Reneau had submitted her two weeks' notice Aug. 9. She's under water now'. 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