Just three weeks after graduating from the academy, he and Senior Constable Shannon Fletcher braved a flaming car to rescue a trapped young man following a high-speed chase near Narromine. The car exploded moments later.

Yesterday, both men were recognised for putting their lives on the line with a Commissioner's Commendation for Bravery at the Orana Local Area Command's awards ceremony.

In some ways, Constable Wilson's innocence showed.

"We were pursuing these guys and I said to him 'get ready mate, they're going to run'," Senior Constable Fletcher said.

"He was like ‘what?'"

Constable Wilson said it hadn't occurred to him that the fugitives might flee.

"I said ‘fair dinkum?'" he laughed yesterday.

But when it came to the crunch, he displayed a spontaneous courage that defied his inexperience.

With the door wedged in by a log and with flames "licking at the back of the driver's head" the men dragged him through the window of the car to safety and watched as it was totally engulfed by fire.

Constable Wilson said training - however new - gave way to reflex at such life or death moments.

"You can train as much as you like but in the end it just happens and comes down to instinct," he said.

Senior Constable Fletcher said although it felt good to be recognised, fellow officers were "doing it on a daily basis".

"You've just got to help - it's quite simple," he said.

"There was no one else that could help so we were it."

Local Area Commander Superintendent Stuart Smith said the courage officers showed stemmed not only from obligation but from a personal desire to do good.

"Although bound by an oath of office to protect life and property there is also an unspoken dedication we feel towards our role that can see in some individuals a lifelong service to the people of NSW," he said.

"When presented with a critical life or life-threatening situation, it is often this dedication that sees human beings disregard personal risk to save others."

New Western Region Commander Superintendent Steve Bradshaw said gratitude should go to the police, their friends and family.

"It occurred to me when they (award recipients) said ‘thankyou sir' that it is really me, the NSW Police and the NSW community who should be saying thank you."

He said "deep thanks" should also go to friends and family, whose support was "so necessary for police to do their jobs".