Beloit Fire Department staff assisted with flood rescue efforts in Dane County after torrential rains caused widespread flooding Monday night around Madison. Six swift water rescue team members and Fire Chief Brad Liggett were dispatched to rural parts of the county at 11:50 p.m. Monday, with rescue efforts continuing into Tuesday morning. Just after 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Dane County officials declared a state of emergency to pave the way for state and federal disaster relief. According to Liggett, the department made multiple rescues early Tuesday morning in Middleton and assisted with rescue efforts in Mazomanie. Through it all, team members searched a two-mile stretch of road in chest-deep waters to check for stranded residents.