Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Office of Community Management (OEM) Commissioner Joseph R. Bruno announced the creation of a new emergency preparedness award to honor the late John D. Solomon at the graduation ceremony for 122 Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers on January 13, 2011.

John Solomon was an active member of his team on Manhattan's Upper East Side. He made emergency preparedness his life's work and labored tirelessly to involve the community in his preparedness efforts. In addition to being an active CERT member, Solomon maintained a preparedness blog, had begun work on a family preparedness book, and wrote several newspaper articles on the topic. Throughout his illness he remained steadfast in his dedication to raise awareness of the need to prepare our families, neighbors, workplaces, and communities for all hazards.

The John D. Solomon Emergency Preparedness Award will be presented annually to a CERT member who shows outstanding dedication to the program, and who embodies Solomon's enthusiasm for volunteerism and purposeful engagement to make their communities better prepared for emergencies.