As area rivers and streams rose to near or above flood levels, Waterloo firefighters practiced water rescue techniques on Harold Getty Lake on Wednesday. Crews with Waterloo Fire Rescue practiced launching a rapid deployment craft and plucking a firefighter who played the role of a victim from the water. The inflatable rescue boats are designed to be set up in a moment’s notice, allowing rescue workers to paddle out to a person in distress and grab them through the vessel’s open bow. Rapid deployment crafts can also be used for rescues on frozen lakes. Wednesday’s training came days after Waterloo firefighters used a boat to rescue nine boaters whose kayaks overturned on Black Hawk Creek on Sunday.