Kenia Colon knew something was wrong when her grandmother called and said her grandfather, Luis Suliveres, 71, was feeling sick. They called 911. When crews from American Medical Response arrived at their Fort Pleasant Street home, Suliveres was still alive.

"They took him into the ambulance and they told us he passed away," said Colon.

That is when the family said the EMTs, who were still parked in the street, brought Suliveres' dead body back up the sidewalk, up the porch stairs, and back to the front door.

"They just told us they're going to bring him back in and we have to take care of calling the funeral home," said Colon.

Eventually the funeral home did arrive to pick up Suliveres, who had been suffering from bone cancer for two years. Colon said the EMTs told her they needed the ambulance for "city service" and left. It is something Suliveres' daughter, Carmen says she will never forget.

"That was so disrespectful to me. They didn't respect my father at all," she said.

CBS 3 spoke with a representative from American Medical Response (AMR) Monday afternoon to find out what the protocol is when a patient dies in an ambulance. AMR said local crews are bound to the laws and regulations of the state, but it is ultimately the decision of the "doctor control" at the hospital as far as whether or not to transport the body. A decision it says is universal with all ambulance companies.

Suliveres did have an up-to-date "Do Not Resuscitate" order, which prohibits life-saving measures. It is unclear if that order played a role in the physician's decision, but the family says their frustration lies with how the EMTs handled the situation. AMR could not speculate for the individuals involved, but said its thoughts go out to the family.

The Suliveres' said they are considering legal action against AMR.