New York City's fire department has suspended two emergency medical technicians accused of refusing to help a pregnant woman who died after collapsing in a coffee shop while they were on break, the New York Times reported.

Meanwhile, an attorney for the two EMTs told the New York Daily News that they never saw the woman.

The story, which has made national news throughout the holiday, accuses the emergency medical workers of a gross neglect of duty. Doctors, hospitals and other professional medical providers, including EMTs and paramedics, can be held responsible for negligent actions that lead to the serious injury or death of a patient.

The New York City medical malpractice attorneys and the personal injury and wrongful death lawyers at Queller, Fisher, Washor, Fuchs & Kool fight for the rights of clients in New York City medical negligence cases and work to hold negligent or careless doctors and medical professionals responsible for their actions.

Witnesses say the EMTs told employees at the Brooklyn cafe to call 911 when asked to help the 25-year-old woman, according to the Times. Mayor Michael Bloomberg called the EMTs' conduct inexcusable and against human decency.

An ambulance was called and the woman died after being taken to Long Island College Hospital. Her baby girl was too premature to survive.

A spokesman for the EMT union told the Times EMTs generally consider it a 24-hour job. ''Our people tend to spring into action whether they're on duty, off duty, whatever they're doing,'' said Robert Ungar, spokesman for the Uniformed EMTS and Paramedics, FDNY. ''If there was unprofessional conduct by these EMTs, the union does not condone any type of conduct which in any way can harm members of the public."

An attorney for the EMTs told the Daily News "it didn't happen the way it has been presented," adding that the EMTs never saw the pregnant woman, who was an employee in the back of the restaurant.