"He is the idol of my life. He is a lovely, genuine person."
Senior Constable Adrian Oldham can today be revealed as the Bay of Plenty Times Person of the Year 2014 for his superhuman and heroic actions that night on July 6.
The People's Choice winner, as voted by the public on bayofplentytimes.co.nz, is Bryce Dinneen, a tetraplegic who set up the charity Wish For Fish, which gives people with mental and physical disabilities or facing financial hardship the chance to enjoy water activities including fishing.
Mr Oldham was on duty driving along Maranui St, Mount Maunganui, about 7pm when he noticed the fire at Mrs Lawrence's home in the distance.
He suspected a barbecue had got out of control and went to investigate. When he saw the house was alight he assumed it was a holiday home that had been burgled and torched.
He called the fire brigade, jumped the fence and went to the ranch slider, which was covered by a security screen.
Suddenly from out of the thick, black smoke came the face of Mrs Lawrence.
"She just appeared like a freak apparition," he recalled.
Mr Oldham pointed to the handle and yelled at her to open the door.
"I could see the confusion in her eyes and she was fumbling around with the handle and I could see that she took a couple of steps back and disappeared into the dark. I heard a whimper and then I heard the noise of a body falling on to the floor. I sort of looked around and realised there was still nobody there." He kicked at the security door, which wouldn't budge, before smashing a window and removing the glass. He then realised the window had security catches.
"I just wrenched it and the whole thing came out. I looked around and there was still nobody there. I'm thinking, where's the fire brigade and where's the other cops?"
Inside, his police torch was useless against the black smoke. "I took a deep breath, went in and just got on my hands and knees and started feeling around. I felt what turned out to be her ankle and grabbed it and realised I'd probably only have one shot at it. I just held on for grim life and pulled her."
At this point, fellow Papamoa officer Constable Shane McCarthy arrived with a fire extinguisher and smashed the window closest to the floor. The officers lay a police jacket over the broken glass and "gracefully but forcefully" pulled Mrs Lawrence out of the smoke-filled house.
"The fresh air sort of brought her round. We could hear the fire and we could just tell that it was getting closer."
They helped her to an ambulance, where she was treated for smoke inhalation and cuts to her hands.
"Her face was just black from the smoke and she had these beautiful blue eyes. I'll always remember those blue eyes," Mr Oldham said. "She's a really cheeky sort of lady, a lovely lady."
The heroic cop said he never feared for his own safety.
"I never thought about the fire, I remember as soon as I went in I thought ... it's hot in here. Not once did I actually think that I was going to die in there. I would have gone in again and again but I'm grateful I found her when I did."
The fire chief told him if he had been one or two minutes later in coming to her aid, Mrs Lawrence would have died. "If she hadn't come to the door, she'd be dead," he said.
The fire started when Mrs Lawrence switched her electric-blanket control to the off position and it exploded in her hand. She threw it on the bed, but the bedding caught fire.
Papamoa Sergeant Phil Gillbanks described his colleague as the most motivated police officer he had met in his 21 years in the force.
"He has an amazing ability to break down barriers and communicate with people. He's got an X-factor.
"He loves wearing the uniform, takes great pride in it. He's basically the poster-boy policeman."
Police Commissioner Mike Bush told the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend he and Mr Oldham went to the same high school and were neighbours.
"He's a very humble person and very personable. He's also an outstanding officer who is well known in his community. He has a huge amount of trust and confidence from that community," said Mr Bush.
"His act of bravery didn't surprise me as he always puts others first. It's fair to say Adrian is one of the great champions of Prevention First policing."
The Person of the Year judging panel was made up of Bay of Plenty Times Editor Scott Inglis, The Hits radio presenter Will Johnston, and Olympian and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Liz van Welie.
The judges were unanimous in their decision.
Mr Inglis, who chaired the panel, said: "The calibre of all eight finalists this year was extremely high and it was a difficult decision. But putting one's life on the line to save another human is one of the most selfless acts anybody can do. In this instance, Mr Oldham showed superhuman courage and strength in saving Mrs Lawrence's life. He is a true hero."
Meanwhile, People's Choice winner Mr Dinneen said he hoped to raise the profile of Wish For Fish.
Big plans were afoot for 2015 as fundraising efforts for a purpose-built vessel gathered momentum, he said.
"That is our Mount Everest, we are in the early stages but it's really exciting. The trust is working hard to put a strategic plan in place."
The charitable trust currently hired a wheelchair-accessible boat in Tauranga and the Coromandel and tried to do one charity trip a month, dependant on weather.
"Even though I am in a wheelchair, it's not about people in chairs, it's about providing this opportunity to people right across the board. I see first-hand the emotion shown by them when they get that experience."
Strengthening relationships with the community was another focus.
"We want to work with the Bay of Plenty people ... we will take it in our stride and every day is a chance to tell everybody what we are doing and trying to achieve."
