One man’s voice helped a Charlotte girl escape a fire — and become a hero
Charlotte Fire dispatcher John Schuler isn’t a big fan of TV or the spotlight, but when A&E’s “Panic 9-1-1” called about a segment featuring a heroic young girl’s actions during a fire last year, he knew he had to participate.
Tyshala Wilson, 11, and her 6-year-old brother, Hampton, were surrounded by flames in their apartment near Rose Thorn Place in southwest Charlotte on March 16, 2021, the show recounted. Tyshala called 911 at 6:38 p.m., the moment she noticed fire and smoke emanating from the kitchen.
“The house is on fire, help,” she told Schuler, who received the call.
Schuler, on the show, explains how the children only had about four minutes to get out of the apartment because chemicals in the kitchen could cause the fire to double every 30 seconds.
The emergency ended in around 6 minutes. Tyshala remained on the phone with Schuler the entire time.
“She did a really good job listening to me, doing everything I said and staying safe,” Schuler told The Charlotte Observer during a phone interview.
The apartment caught fire after the children’s babysitter left to run an errand and did not remove a pan off the burning stove, according to the show.
In May 2021, Wilson was honored with the Heroism Award by the North Carolina Office of the State Fire Marshal and North Carolina’s Insurance Commissioner for her efforts.
“I just have to say if I wasn’t here right now, my mom would be in tears. My grandma would be crying and it would be an endless nightmare,” Tyshala told WBTV.
‘All pretty weird for me’
When Charlotte Fire’s director of operations told him about being on the show in May 2021, Schuler initially felt uncomfortable about it.
“I usually stay out of the camera,” Schuler said. “It was all pretty weird for me.”
Schuler was not the only one interviewed for the show, which plays 911 calls in “real time.” Tyshala and her mother, LaQuawana Wilson, also participated.
“Talking to the dispatcher was like being on a phone call with a very important friend,” Tyshala said on the show. “Someone that you can trust and someone to help you keep calm. He was very helpful.”
Hours after the fire, Tyshala called Schuler to thank him for saving her and Hampton’s lives.
“She did such an amazing job, and I don’t even think she knew when she was doing it how good she did it,” Schuler said on the show. “That little girl was the biggest hero.”
The episode “I’m Dying and I Love Him” featuring Schuler and Tyshala premiered on A&E on July 30.
This story was originally published August 11, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
