The emergency room at Memorial Hospital Miramar was shutdown Monday evening as a precaution, according to hospital officials. It has since reopened.
Miramar Fire-Rescue said a patient who was exposed to an unknown powder was being treated there. The patient was put in isolation.
The powder was never at the hospital, officials confirmed.
Miramar Fire-Rescue Hazmat crews were called in to assist. They gave the all-clear later in the evening and the emergency room was reopened.
"We always want to treat these possible hazardous materials exposures as something very serious, and it would take this many people at a hospital to evacuate folks if we had to," said Lt. Jose Gregorisch with Miramar Fire.
No further information has been released about the patient or what the powder was. Fire officials said the patient's main symptom was coughing.
Memorial Hospital Miramar is located at 1901 Southwest 172nd Avenue and Pembroke Road.
