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Water no friend to Raleigh firefighters who deal with urban flooding, rescues

Firefighters are increasingly being asked to rescue people from urban flooding, and with the peak of hurricane season approaching, Raleigh firefighters took to the water Thursday to practice their rescue skills.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Firefighters are increasingly being asked to rescue people from urban flooding, and with the peak of hurricane season approaching, Raleigh firefighters took to the water Thursday to practice their rescue skills.

Senior Firefighter Richard Capps said it's ironic that he and his colleagues sometimes see water as their foe.

"The fire department, we pride ourselves on being able to help people with just about any situation they find themselves in," Capps said.

More than a dozen firefighters spent the afternoon training in swift water rescue on the Neuse River below the Falls Lake Dam.

During Hurricane Matthew, Raleigh firefighters responded to more than 30 water rescue calls.

"Each year, it's more and more and more, whether it's on the river or like Crabtree [Creek] in the flood plain," Capps said. "Sometimes people don't heed the warnings, and they drive themselves into situations they don't want to be in. That's when they call us. Hence why we are out here training."

Lt. Darrell Adams said he believes Raleigh's building boom is partially to blame for the increased water rescue calls. The water has nowhere to go amid the asphalt and concrete, so it gathers in flood plains.

The training is intense.

"It's pretty hard. These guys out here paddling in stuff. We're swimming in the stuff," Adams said. "It's very physical. It requires a lot of hard effort to do it."

But firefighter Mary Beth King said she wouldn't miss it.

"I like the high energy side of it, so I'm enjoying it," King said. "You get a sense of joy out of helping other people. We have 600 firefighters on the department, and everyone one of them would be there if you need them."

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