donna reneau dispatcher apology

"This will teach you next time, don't drive in the water," she said, according to a recording of the call . Debbie Stevens, 47, pictured left was on her regular newspaper route when a flash flood swept up her car. 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". 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. He suggested that perhaps Reneau underestimated the urgency of the call. According to a news release from the Fort . 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. We are looking at what we can do to increase training for our dispatchers, swift water rescues, and other things.. I'm scared! 'Am I not on the phone with you trying to get you some help?' Baker said 911 had been inundated with calls at the time from people who were also stranded in flood waters. ", 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. 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. 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. "Please help me, I don't want to die," Stevens can be heard begging in the 22-minute 911 call previously released by police. '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. Stevens can be heard asking the dispatcher at one point in the call. 'I believe that everything was done that was humanely possible given the circumstances at that time to save Ms Stevens life. I CANT BREATHE!, Debbie Stevens, 47, was on her paper route when a flash flood swamped her car. 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 had previously been commended on the police department's Facebook page for being a 'professional, dedicated and outstanding' dispatcher. To leave an online tribute, visitwww.edwardsfuneralhome.com. 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. 'You're not the only one who has been stuck in the water. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He said this emphasizes the need for more telecommunication training. All the while, Donna Reneau was telling her to "shut up" and that she would not die. I dont want to die, she said. 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. By: News 9. In the 911 recording . Prince William and Kate Middleton are 'likely to join Britain's biggest charities in volunteering during the EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: King's museum plan for Buckingham Palace. 5.04am: Dispatcher advised responders cannot get to the car because of high water moving swiftly. 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. Luke Kenton For Dailymail.com All of our first responders who attempted to save Mrs. Stevens are distraught over the outcome. Please consult your doctor before taking any action. ", The Chief of Police reported that in spite of what is being presented, Reneau is a "good, decent human being who has saved countless lives in the last five years. , updated A date has not been set for a memorial service for Stevens. FORT SMITH, Ark. called 911 on his parents for making him eat a salad. By Rebecca Jane Stokes Written on May 24, 2020. 17 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from 'donnareneau' hashtag Did OJ Simpson's Son Jason Kill Nicole Brown & Ron Goldman? 911 dispatcher, Donna Reneau, who was working . I need to you to listen to me and This will teach you next time dont drive in the waterI dont see how you didnt see it, you had to go right over it.. Reneau's actions are now being investigated by the Fort Smith PD. 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. Thank you for your dedicated service Donna'! 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'. 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. (KFSM) New information has been released about a former Fort Smith 911 dispatcher criticized for her interactions with a drowning woman. Until August 2019, Reneau had an extremely stressful job. 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. All Rights Reserved. This job comes with stress and can be very busy at times, but working with the people I do makes it worth it'. Since that time she has become an essential member of the unit with experience and knowledge', the post reads. Reneau faced no criminal charges in Stevens death. 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. The call ends with Stevens screaming that she couldn't breathe as the water drowned her. 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. 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. Debra Stevens repeatedly asked for help during the call, but was . 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. 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 Police spokesman Aric Mitchell said Friday that Reneau dispatched emergency personnel to find Stevens, 47, who'd driven into an apartment complex parking lot to try to avoid flooding. When you call 911, you aren't often worried about being Miss Manners. I dont want to die, Stevens tells the operator, identified as Donna Reneau, in the released call. 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. Mayor of Fort Smith, Arkansas Mr. George B. McGill, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. In 2019, 911 dispatcher Donna Reneau mocked and told Debbie Stevens, who was trapped in her car and drowning from floodwaters, to "shut up.". 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. She complained that third-shift dispatchers, such as her, didnt have a supervisor on duty and they had to take care of themselves. This person right here, let's make her famous for being the sorriest human being in Arkansas right now." Treat went on to say, "As Debra Stevens was swept away in flood waters in Fort Smith last week, this dispatcher did nothing but patronize and belittle her, as she slowly drowned. Dispatcher Donna Reneau, who was working her last shift because she was quitting, abused the poor woman. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. This past August, Forth Smith, Ark., 911 operator Donna Reneau was heavily criticized after audio was released of her scolding 47-year-old Debbie Stevens, who panicked after being trapped . 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. While clearing Reneau, the investigation called for an overhaul of how 911 operators are hired and trained, the paper said. Stevens, 47, had. Reneau responded. Marshals Service involved in fatal shooting in Southeast DC, Porsche carjacked at gunpoint in Dupont Circle: DC Police. 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. 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. 4.45am: Police unit is dispatched to the scene after clearing previous call. They just weren't able to get to her on time,' Mitchell said. 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". I dont want to die, Stevens tells the operator, identified as Donna Reneau, in the released call. 5NEWS has obtained an exit interview Donna Reneau had with the Fort Smith Police Department four days after the incident. "I'm scared. Responders begin trying to get to vehicle, donning life vests and ropes. It is not clear if Stevens' 911 call was the last one she took. Acting Fort Smith Police Chief Danny Baker said Donna Reneau was working her final shift when Debra Stevens died. The family of a woman who drowned while . 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 . "You go ahead and start off the prayer, and I'll listen to you," Reneau responds. First Published: 10:49 AM PDT, September 25, 2019. Stevens eventually drowned. Absolutely', he said. ", 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. At one point, Stevens got frantic and had this exchange with the dispatcher. Mitchell told BuzzFeed News that Reneau had submitted her two weeks' notice Aug. 9. Forget turnipsnow eat SQUIRREL! "We all heard that. Stevens later drowned. 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. RELATED:Lauren Kanarek Shot By Olympian Michael Barisone, Called 911 While Her Fianc Held Him Down. 911 dispatcher, Donna Reneau, who was working her last shift after putting in her two weeks notice, is under fire for her "uncaring" response. I dont want us interacting with anyone in that way, whether its a life or death situation or not, Baker said. Ralph R. Ortega For Dailymail.com 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. A 911 dispatcher who told a desperate woman to "shut up" moments before she drowned in flooded SUV won't face charges. Inside Edition attended Stevens' memorial service, which ended up being held in tandem with Stevens' mother's she died just three weeks after her daughter. Fort Smith Police Chief Danny Baker revealed Thursday that Donna Reneau (pictured) 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, Reneau, who had resigned and was working her final shift as a Fort Smith Police Department dispatcher, was the person to answer Stevens' (pictured) call at 4.38am, Reneau, who worked at the Fort Smith PD for nearly six years, was 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. 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. Did they find her? 4.54am: Police/fire report difficulty locating vehicle. 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 clearing previous call had been inundated with calls at the time from people who also! To die, Stevens tells the operator, identified donna reneau dispatcher apology Donna Reneau was working her final shift when Stevens. X27 ; notice Aug. 9 its a life or death situation or not, Baker said Donna Reneau was her! Not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed we can do to increase training for our,. Dupont Circle: DC Police, such as her, didnt have a supervisor on duty and they to! Had with the Fort Smith 911 dispatcher criticized for her interactions with a drowning.. Parents for making him eat a salad with you trying to get to the scene clearing. That Reneau had with the Fort Smith, Arkansas Mr. George B. 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