Our Mission
Montclair Ambulance Unit, an independent, nonprofit emergency medical service, has been the dedicated 911 ambulance service for Montclair, New Jersey since 1953. We are committed to improving community health and safety by providing professional 911 EMS, ambulance support for community events, incident management services and public health education for everyone.
First Patient Transported
MAU transported its first patient from Montclair Community Hospital six months after being formed
Ambulance Cost Over Time
MAU’s first ambulance cost $10,043, today an ambulance costs over $400,000
First MAU Location
MAU was based out of the Red Cross building for its first four years of operations
Locations Over Time
MAU has had four “homes” in over 60 years
First Paid Employee
MAU’s first paid employee was hired in 1985
Call Volume Since Founding
MAU has responded to over 185,000 requests for service since 1953
The People Behind MAU
In addition to being experienced EMS providers, the members of our leadership team are all highly trained in various incident management disciplines. Some of those areas of expertise are logistics, staging, urban search and rescue, and public information.
Chief James Mazza
CHIEF OF EMS
James Mazza has been working for 18 years in emergency medical services, progressing from a street-level provider to various supervisory positions including assistant chief of a combination paid/volunteer department. His passion for EMS started as a stepping stone for a law enforcement career but once he got involved in EMS, he realized that EMS was his life’s calling. He grew up in New Jersey and has lived and worked in the local community in a variety of industries, including a technology company, a firearms range and a paper notebook company while furthering his EMS career. He has a BA in political science from Seton Hall University with a minor in diplomacy & international relations and an MA in Emergency Management & Disaster Planning from American Public University. He holds board seats on Mountainside Hospital’s Community Board of Trustees, the International Association of EMS Chiefs and Montclair State University’s Diagnosis to Recovery Advisory Board. He is a member of the New Jersey EMS Task Force and New Jersey Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue.
Deputy Chief Michael Craig
DEPUTY CHIEF OF EMS
Michael Craig has worked in the emergency services field for more than 30 years. He started as a volunteer EMT when he was 16 and realized that his calling was helping people. Throughout his career he worked local, state and federal disaster response including 9/11. He has served in a variety of organizations including DMATS and the American Red Cross. His career at MAU started in 2002. He has a BA in emergency management with a minor in homeland security from Jacksonville State University in Alabama, and holds a variety of instruction certifications including CPR. He is a NJ Certified Emergency Manager as well as an NREMT. He is a member of the New Jersey EMS Task Force.
Jonathan Hirsh
president and njemt
Jonathan Hirsh has 30 years of emergency services experience. He joined MAU in 1993 and has served as a line EMT and supervisor, and served in many roles on the Unit’s Board of Trustees. He also serves as a Task Force Leader with New Jersey Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue. Jonathan has a BS from Syracuse University and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. His career outside of emergency services has encompassed many roles within the manufacturing sector.
Dr. Anthony P. Strobolakos, Jr., DO
MEDICAL DIRECTOR
Anthony P. Strobolakos, Jr., DO, MAU’s medical director, is an emergency medicine physician who grew up in Caldwell, New Jersey, and began his career in EMS as an EMT with Montclair Ambulance Unit. Dr. Strobolakos graduated from Montclair State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology and Chemistry. Following his undergraduate studies, he earned a Master of Biomedical Sciences from Rutgers University while continuing to work as an MAU EMT. He then attended West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, where he earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. Dr. Strobolakos completed his residency training in emergency medicine at South Shore University Hospital–Northwell Health and is currently an attending emergency medicine physician with RWJBarnabas Health.
Kristen Ryan
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT & Public Information Officer
Kristen Ryan has a diverse background that includes several decades of experience as a public relations professional and freelance journalist. In 2025 she earned FEMA’s highest certification for public information officers, Executive PIO, and her capstone was approved for publication by the National Disaster and Emergency Management University. Kristen earned her bachelor’s degree from Indiana University. She holds certifications as an NREMT, an American Heart Association BLS CPR instructor and a Stop the Bleed instructor. She is also a PIO for the New Jersey EMS Task Force.
EMS SUPERVISORS
Bob Bertoli
Sean Coffey
Ben Panza
Jonathan Pryor
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Jonathan Hirsh
Rich McMahon
Chief James Mazza
Andrew Taddei
Bryan Becker
Alan Fox
Lisa Barsanti Hoyt
Doug Kaplan
David Sabagh
EMS is Not an Essential Service in New Jersey
Unlike police, fire and sanitation, EMS is not designated as an essential service in New Jersey or 34 other states. This means municipalities aren’t required to provide – or fund – ambulance services. Montclair Township is supportive of our work and provides the use of a building, operating insurance and vehicle fuel. Insurance billing roughly covers our payroll, but everything else is covered by donations, grants, events, CPR classes and other fundraising efforts. If we need a new ambulance (or, more likely, to remount an old ambulance) our team has to raise the funds.
Advocating for NJ’s Medical Services
Legislative advocacy is a core responsibility of modern EMS leadership and MAU has become a recognized voice for the EMS profession at the local, state and national levels. Advocacy is not an occasional activity for the organization. It is a strategic priority woven into MAU’s mission, leadership and public engagement efforts.
Our leadership team works with local, state and federal lawmakers to advance policies that strengthen emergency medical services, improve workforce sustainability and protect access to emergency care. We actively advocate for essential service designation, increased EMS funding, reimbursement reform, workforce development initiatives and policies that address the growing challenges facing EMS agencies nationwide.
