The Fort Smith Police Department has released her 9-1-1 call, and we want to warn you, some people may find it tough to listen to.
Debbie Stevens: “Please help me, I don’t wanna die.”
Dispatcher: “You’re not going to die, hold on for a minute.”
Debbie Stevens: “Well I need um, I’m scared, I’m sorry.”
Dispatcher: “I understand that you’re scared but there’s nothing I can do sitting in a chair so you’re going to have to hold on and I’m going to send you somebody ok?”
As Debbie Stevens begged for help, she was on the phone with 9-1-1 for about 24 minutes. She tells the dispatcher water is filling up her car.
Dispatcher: “You’re not going to die. I don’t know why you’re freaking out, it’s okay. I know the water level is high.”
Stevens: “I’m scared. I’m sorry.”
Dispatcher: “I understand that but you freaking out, doing nothing but losing your oxygen up in there so calm down.”
Stevens: “When are they going to be here?”
Dispatcher: “As soon as they get there.”
Police and firefighters arrived about 12 minutes after the initial call, but it took rescue crews more than an hour to reach Stevens. Police body camera video shows just how flooded the area was.
Stevens: “I’m scared I’ve never had anything like this happen to me before.”
Dispatcher: “This will teach you next time don’t drive in the water.”
Stevens: “Couldn’t see it, ma’am. I’m sorry or I wouldn’t have.”
Dispatcher: “I don’t see how you didn’t see it, you had to go right over it, so.”
Interim Police Chief Danny Baker said, “I completely understand the disgust and the concern we all have. I understand that listening to a person going through the panic that Ms. Stephens was in those final moments of her life. We would all hope that we would get a little bit better response than perhaps she was given. I don’t want us interacting with anyone in that way, whether it’s a life and death situation or not.”
The interim police chief said that dispatcher turned in her two weeks notice and this call came in on her last shift. He said he doesn’t know why Stevens’ 911 call was not given top priority. “I don’t think the dispatcher realized or understood the severity of the situation,” Baker said.
The interim chief said right now they’re investigating to see if police policies were followed and how they can be improved. He said the dispatcher would not have been fired. “I can… absolutely no criminal we looked at that and she did nothing criminally wrong, I’m not even going to go so far as saying she violated policy.”
47-year-old Stevens was already dead when first responders were finally able to reach her vehicle.
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