The Croton Falls Fire Department kicked off its annual pancake breakfast event Sunday morning.

The proceeds for this year’s event are going to help JT Camp, a 911 dispatcher for the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services and former volunteer with the Ossining Hose Company, who became critically ill this past December.

"It was like a freak illness. The only way they could really stop the infection was to put him in a coma,” said Lt. Jason Nickson.

The pancake breakfast is a longstanding tradition for Croton Falls, offering residents across Westchester the opportunity to enjoy food and interact with members of the fire department.

“They can come in and look at the gear, look at the trucks. It’s a nice opportunity because maybe somebody says, 'That was fun. I want to join' and we can get some new members,” said Fire Chief Jeffery Daday.

The fire department hopes the event can help ease the financial burden caused by Camp’s health issue.

"That’s just the community of the Westchester County fire service,” said Nickson. “Everyone just comes out to help one another.”

“Once we found out he needed help, we were glad to step up,” said Daday. "We all wear different patches but were all brothers and sisters. It’s all a family."