Runners hit the pavement in South Orange to help keep ambulances on the road.

The South Orange Rescue Squad held a 5K Sunday morning to help raise funds for their emergency services. The rescue squad is an independent nonprofit that operates solely through donations.

"All of the money to fund our operations comes from events like this and donations from the community," said Dan Cohen, the squad’s captain. "We don’t get any taxpayer money, so this is a really big event for us."

The Rescue Squad volunteers provide free emergency medical care to people in South Orange. It also backs up for Maplewood, Newark, Orange and Irvington. “…Everyone here wants to be here," said EMT Simone Kelly, who has been volunteering for about two years. She has plans to work in emergency medicine as a long-term career.

"This place is home. I found my people here," said Kelly. "Maybe we’re only scheduled for one to three shifts a week. I’m here a lot more than that because these are my people. I’ll often come to make dinner or watch a movie with the crew."

The Rescue Squad was created back in the 1950s by a small group of residents and business owners as an all-volunteer ambulance service. It now boasts three ambulances. According to Cohen, they have an annual budget of $200,000. That doesn't include any new equipment, vehicles or other lifesaving apparatuses. "A new ambulance costs about $300,000 with nothing on it. The stretchers and the mounts to raise them are $70-$80,000 alone. It takes a lot of money and people donating helps," said Cohen.

Cohen hoped to raise $50,000 through sponsors and runners.