Montgomery Police Partner with School and Health Dept to Present Safety Awareness Programs at MHS

By Barbara A. Preston | September 14, 2025

Montgomery High School students will learn about bullying/mental health, driver safety/distracted driving, and vaping/substance abuse this year in three assemblies sponsored by Montgomery's police, health department, and school district.

Three Montgomery High School students participating in the ThinkFast gameshow Interactive program. The MC is on the left.

Montgomery News file photo.

Montgomery Police Chief Silvio Bet said the high school program is part of many important initiatives the police plan to roll out this year.

"Our continued initiatives symbolize our commitment to fostering a culture of awareness that benefits all community members," Chief Bet told The Montgomery News. The programs also build a stronger relationship between the police department, the health department, and the community, he said.

The school-based programs use THINKFAST Interactive, which is a national touring prevention intervention program founded and owned by Tim John of TjohnE Productions.

The programs use real-time team-based trivia, videos, and discussion to educate teens about important safety issue. The police and health department sponsored a program on vaping and substance abuse at the high school in June. (Click to Read >> "Teens Learn about the Many Risks of Vaping — Nicotine and THC Are More Potent, Addictive, and Dangerous than Ever" The Montgomery News June 6, 2025)

From left: MHS Vice Principal John Vitale, Lt. Jason Larsen, Lt. Sean Sullivan, Principal Heather Pino, Chief Silvio Bet, Health Educator Sigrid Solis, Lori Huff of the Montgomery/Rocky Hill Municipal Alliance, and Lt. Andrew Perry in June.  (Photo by Christine Grossmann)

High School officials liked the program so much they decided to partner with the police and health departments to present three programs in the 2025-26 school year. The Montgomery-Rocky Hill Municipal Alliance also contributes to the program to keep students safe and informed.

Program Dates

Bullying & Mental Health - Grades 9 and 10 in October

Teen Driver Safety - Grade 10 in January

Vaping & Substance Abuse - Grades 11 and 12 in April

MHS Principal Heather Pino sent a letter to parents following the Vaping/Substance Abuse assembly in June emphasizing the importance of the program.

"The reality is that teen vaping, especially with nicotine and THC, remains one of the most pressing health concerns facing adolescents today," Principal Pino said in the letter to parents. "Despite growing awareness, many young people still believe vaping is safer than smoking. This misconception has led to widespread experimentation, addiction, and even hospitalization.

"We are proud to partner with ThinkFast Interactive, our township health and [police] organizations, and [parents] to create a learning environment where every student feels empowered to make informed, healthy choices."

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ThinkFast is an evidence-informed interactive program developed in 1997 that exposes participants to important information on hard-to-tackle topics such as underage drinking, drug use, bullying/suicide prevention, traffic safety, and mental health.

According to ThinkFast website, the program presents awareness while simultaneously entertaining students in a safe, relaxed, and fun (game-show) manner. Audience Response Technology (wireless keypads) is used to connect the audience to the message  and promote team play. The goal is to create an exciting and captivating program that will keep the targeted  audience’s attention and focus from start to finish by combining custom awareness content with cutting edge  technology, age-appropriate entertainment, elaborate staging, and a charismatic host to create an unforgettable  experience.

It is anticipated that the police department will receive grant funding to sponsor the Teen Driver Safety component  of the program through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), New Jersey Division of  Highway Traffic Safety, and The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office. The Bullying/Mental Health and  Vaping/Substance Abuse programs will respectively be sponsored by the Montgomery High School and  Montgomery Health Department.

Chief Bet said the expansion of the THINKFAST initiative "symbolizes our continuing commitment to increasing the safety of our school community while building positive connections  with our students."