A Rochester fire captain who was accused of taking three firefighters to a racist-themed party on East Avenue is leaving the fire service after completion of an internal investigation.
Captain Jeffrey Krywy was notified on Friday that he was being discharged from the Rochester Fire Department. Mayor Malik Evans’ office says he chose to retire before termination proceedings could begin.
Mayor Evans said in a statement that he thanks city human resources and RFD leadership for a fair and expedient investigation. Evans said: “The underlying issues that bring us to today were not created in the last eight months. I thank Fire Chief Felipe Hernandez for his continued commitment to addressing the structural biases and cultural challenges within the RFD. We will share regular updates on our work to tackle these longstanding issues in the weeks to come.”
The investigation began when Firefighter Jerrod Jones complained that he and two other on-duty firefighters were made to go to the party and driven there on a fire truck. The party was a spoof of Juneteenth, the day honored as marking the end of slavery in America. It featured racist tropes and decorations.