FDNY lieutenant arrested for ‘strangling’ NYC emergency medical technician on the job during altercation: sources

An FDNY lieutenant was arrested Saturday for allegedly choking a city emergency medical technician during a heated on-the-job altercation, sources said.

Neal Francis, 47, of Brooklyn’s Engine 234 in Crown Heights, was charged with strangulation, police said.

Although the NYPD refused to provide specifics about the confrontation – including whether anyone was seriously injured or who the victim is — multiple sources told The Post that Francis was busted for choking the EMT early Saturday while both were on duty.

Firefighters and medics typically responded to the same emergency calls.

A spokesman for the FDNY, which oversees EMTs and paramedics, said he needed to see the arrest paperwork before commenting but said the department is aware the alleged victim is an EMT. It wasn’t immediately clear Saturday night if Francis would face disciplinary action.

Francis, who made $168,205 including overtime last fiscal year, could not be reached for comment.

While attacks on medics by firefighters are a rarity, assaults against medics by civilians are surging.

In November, Oren Barzilay, president of the union representing more than 4,100 rank-and-file city EMTs and medics, told the City Council that “EMT assaults are at an all-time high.”

The Council is currently considering two bills by Minority Leader Joe Borelli (R-Staten Island) aimed at protecting the first responders by guaranteeing them access to bullet- and stab-proof armored vests as well as yearly self-defense and de-escalation training.

The Uniformed Fire Officers Association said in a statement it’s aware of the allegations against Francis. The union added Francis “has had an unblemished record during his career as a lieutenant,” and “it is important to allow the investigation to proceed before drawing any conclusions.”