The University of Miami includes a renowned medical research center, university, hospital and teaching hospital. Its Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center is among the leaders in firefighter cancer research.

All that research and treatment relies on radiation, which creates radiation waste and hazards. To address that hazmat issue, U of M created its own team that specializes in handling radioisotopes, radiological waste and radiation physics.

The team trains annually and trains with Miami Dade Fire Rescue and City of Miami Fire Rescue. Additionally, the team attends training in Anniston, Alabama — which was named one of the most toxic cities more than 20 years ago — and with FEMA.

The team’s biggest win came when it located a lost source of waste in a compactor. The team’s biggest challenge is coping with the number of patients with radioactive isotopes.