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Rifle

Winslow Homer, “The Army of the Potomac–A Sharp-Shooter on Picket Duty” 1862

NCAA Rifle Competition began in 1980 and features both men’s and women’s teams competing together. The competition includes smallbore and air rifle events, with each athlete shooting in both disciplines.

The two primary events are smallbore rifle (also known as .22 caliber) and air rifle (using a .177 caliber air gun). Competitions typically involve both individual and team scoring, with athletes shooting a series of targets from different distances and positions.

Several U.S. colleges and universities have competitive rifle teams that participate in NCAA rifle competitions. Some of the notable institutions include:

  1. University of Alaska Fairbanks
  2. West Virginia University
  3. University of Kentucky
  4. Texas Christian University (TCU)
  5. University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  6. Murray State University
  7. Ohio State University
  8. University of Akron
  9. United States Military Academy (Army)
  10. University of Memphis
  11. North Carolina State University
  12. Jacksonville State University
  13. Morehead State University
  14. University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)
  15. U.S. Naval Academy (Navy)

The NCAA rifle competition serves as a pipeline for athletes aiming to compete in international events, including the Olympics where it was part of the inaugural modern Olympics in 1896.  Rifle events scheduled for the 2024 Olympics include:

  • 10m Air Rifle (Men and Women): Athletes will shoot from a standing position using a .177 caliber air rifle at a distance of 10 meters.
  • 50m Rifle Three Positions (Men and Women): Competitors will shoot from kneeling, prone, and standing positions using a .22 caliber smallbore rifle at a distance of 50 meters.
  • Mixed Team 10m Air Rifle: Teams composed of one male and one female shooter will compete together in the 10m air rifle event.

West Point Military Academy New York

University of Kentucky | Fayette County

 

Animals 300

Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare

Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals

 

“The Peaceable Kingdom” 1833 Edward Hicks

Today we scan the status of literature that informs the safety and sustainability of the built environment for animals large and small.  Animals are found in education communities as pets. sporting partners, agricultural research and teaching settings, as medical research subjects and clinical care facilities.  ANSI-Accredited standards developers with a footprint in this domain are listed below:

American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers

Agriculture

ASHRAE International

Plant and Animal Environment

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers

Animal Kingdom: A Large and Diverse Dataset for Animal Behavior Understanding

International Code Council

Form v. Function | Function v. Form

National Fire Protection Association

Animal Safety

Underwriters Laboratories

Government agencies at all levels borrow from best practice recommendations in the catalog of the foregoing standards developers.  Conversely, those same standards developers borrow from the best practice recommendations from the same government agencies.

Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

Sunday, Animal, Farm, Agri august

More

The Ethics of Farming Animals

Animal Welfare Act

National Research Council: Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals

National Library of Medicine: Regulation of Animal Research

Most education communities use the foregoing regulations upon which to build their own standards.  For example:

George Washington University

Stanford University

University of Michigan

Michigan State University


 

Terrestrial Animal Health Code

Rewind: Animals 100

Bulletin Board

 

 

Animal Safety

“One of the Family” 1880 | Frederick George Cotman

NFPA 150 Fire and Life Safety in Animal Housing Facilities Code has entered its s025 revision cycle.   Many education communities are responsible for animal safety in academic units, research enterprises. museums and even — as in the United Kingdom — large farm animals that wander freely on campus with students, faculty and staff.  The number of colleges and universities that permit students to live with their pets has expanded; and with it the responsibilities of university administration.

From the document scope:

This standard shall provide the minimum requirements for the design, construction, fire protection, and classification of animal housing facilities.  The requirements of NFPA 150 recognize the following fundamental principles:

(1) Animals are sentient beings with a value greater than that of simple property.

(2) Animals, both domesticated and feral, lack the ability of self-preservation when housed in buildings and other structures.

(3) Current building, fire, and life safety codes do not address the life safety of the animal occupants. The requirements found in NFPA 150 are written with the intention that animal housing facilities will continue to be designed, constructed, and maintained in accordance with the applicable building, fire, and life safety codes.

The requirements herein are not intended to replace or rewrite the basic requirements for the human occupants. Instead, NFPA 150 provides additional minimum requirements for the protection of the animal occupants and the human occupants who interact with those animals in these facilities. 

 

A full description of the project is linked below:

Fire and Life Safety in Animal Housing Facilities Code

Access to the 2025 Edition is linked below:

FREE ACCESS NFPA 150

We provide the transcript of the back-and-forth on the current 2022 edition to inform how education communities can contribute to the improvement of this title; a subject that stirs deep feelings about animal safety in research enterprises.

NFPA 150 First Draft Agenda

NFPA 150 Second Draft Report

Public comment on the Second Draft of the 2025 Edition will be received until March 27, 2024.   

We have been advocating risk-informed animal safety concepts in this document since the 2013 Edition and have found that it is nearly impossible to overestimate the sensitivity of educational communities to the life safety of animals — either for agriculture or medical research.

We maintain the entire NFPA catalog on the standing agenda of our Prometheus colloquia.  See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

"i thank You God for most this amazing day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything which is natural which is infinite which is yes" -- e.e.cummings ('Seventy-One Poems' 1950)

 

Issue: [11-1] and [19-5]

Category: Fire Protection, Facility Asset Management, Academic, Risk Management

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Josh Elvove, Joe DeRosier

More:

Protecting Animals When Disaster Strikes

Animals 300

 

Bibliography:

25 Most Pet-Friendly Colleges

National Institute of Health: Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals

International Building Code: Section 304 (Business Group B): Animal hospitals, kennels and pounds

Terrestrial Animal Health Code

IEEE Guide for Animal Deterrents for Electric Power Supply Substations

ASHRAE Animal Facilities

IEEE Livestock Monitoring System

Ventilation Design Handbook on Animal Research Facilities

HVAC Design in Animal Facilities

USDA Animal Welfare Information Center

ISO Assistance Dogs

US Department of Agriculture: Animal Welfare Act and Animal Welfare Regulations

S. 4288: Reducing Animal Testing Act

Guaranteeing safety of animals under risk of fire: conceptual framework and technical issues analysis

Protecting Animals When Disaster Strikes

 

Pros and Cons of Owning A Dog During College

Getting a dog during college can be an exciting thought for many students who are leaving home and are experiencing their first taste of true freedom; However, many young adults fail to consider the responsibilities and obligations that come with owning a dog while in school.

Apart from the necessity as companions for students with disabilities; consider the following:

Pros:

They can lead to decreased stress.

Dogs have the incredible ability to make you feel more relaxed and less stressed. A study actually found that when people took care of dogs for just three months, they showed significant drops in blood pressure and reactivity to stress. There’s no better feeling than coming home after a long day to your furry best friend who’s thrilled to see you.

They help motivate you to exercise.

Daily exercise is an essential part of a dog’s well-being and absolutely cannot be neglected. However, this requirement becomes mutually beneficial because it also ensures that you’re getting outside daily, intaking sunlight, and getting your own exercise. Even if you’re having a rough day and don’t feel like doing much, your dog will make sure that you go outside and get moving.

They make great companions if you live alone.

Dogs can be fantastic companions for students who choose to live alone. Living by yourself can be lonely. Your pet can serve as a companion to keep you occupied, as well as a solid guard dog when needed (or you can at least let them think they are).

Cons:

They require a time and patience.

If you’re thinking about getting a dog in college, be prepared to commit tons of time and attention to them. Training sessions will be vitally important in ensuring that your dog is potty-trained, can behave on a leash, and can be trusted around other dogs. You’ll also have to make time for vet appointments, play time, and letting them out on a consistent basis.

They can be expensive.

Dogs can be extremely expensive. Between vet bills, food, toys, and general dog supplies, the costs can quickly add up. Assessing your financial situation beforehand and determining whether or not now is the right time for you to get a dog, is absolutely essential.

They can cut into your social life; although can expand your social life with a starting point for common conversation with other dog lovers.

Like it or not, having a dog will cut into your social time with your friends. Staying out until 4 am on the weekends or being away from your house for 12 hours at a time is no longer feasible when your pet is waiting for you at home. Plan to make arrangements to fit your dog’s needs, which may mean missing out on social activities from time to time.

 

Readings

University of Michigan: Animals on Campus

North Central Michigan College

20 Pet Friendly Colleges

Standards Michigan: Animals

“Nipper” RCA Victor

AI Risk Management Framework

 

We list notable NIST projects or efforts related to LLMs, based on available information from NIST’s publications and initiatives. These projects emphasize NIST’s role in advancing measurement science, standards, and guidelines for trustworthy AI systems, including LLMs. Note that some projects are specific studies, while others are broader programs that encompass LLMs.
  • Evaluating LLMs for Real-World Vulnerability Repair in C/C++ Code
    NIST conducted a study to evaluate the capability of advanced LLMs, such as ChatGPT-4 and Claude, in repairing memory corruption vulnerabilities in real-world C/C++ code. The project curated 223 code snippets with vulnerabilities like memory leaks and buffer errors, assessing LLMs’ proficiency in generating localized fixes. This work highlights LLMs’ potential in automated code repair and identifies limitations in handling complex vulnerabilities.
  • Translating Natural Language Specifications into Access Control Policies
    This project explores the use of LLMs for automated translation and information extraction of access control policies from natural language sources. By leveraging prompt engineering techniques, NIST demonstrated improved efficiency and accuracy in converting human-readable requirements into machine-interpretable policies, advancing automation in security systems.
  • Assessing Risks and Impacts of AI (ARIA) Program
    NIST’s ARIA program evaluates the societal risks and impacts of AI systems, including LLMs, in realistic settings. The program includes a testing, evaluation, validation, and verification (TEVV) framework to understand LLM capabilities, such as controlled access to privileged information, and their broader societal effects. This initiative aims to establish guidelines for safe AI deployment.
  • AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF)
    NIST developed the AI RMF to guide the responsible use of AI, including LLMs. This framework provides a structured approach to managing risks associated with AI systems, offering tools and benchmarks for governance, risk assessment, and operationalizing trustworthy AI across various sectors. It’s widely applied in LLM-related projects.
  • AI Standards “Zero Drafts” Pilot Project
    Launched to accelerate AI innovation, this project focuses on developing AI standards, including those relevant to LLMs, through an open and collaborative process. It aims to create flexible guidelines that evolve with LLM advancements, encouraging input from stakeholders to ensure robust standards.
  • Technical Language Processing (TLP) Tutorial
    NIST collaborated on a TLP tutorial at the 15th Annual Conference of the Prognostics and Health Management Society to foster awareness and education on processing large volumes of text using machine learning, including LLMs. The project explored how LLMs can assist in content analysis and topic modeling for research and engineering applications.
  • Evaluation of LLM Security Against Data Extraction Attacks
    NIST investigated vulnerabilities in LLMs, such as training data extraction attacks, using the example of GPT-2 (a predecessor to modern LLMs). This project, referencing techniques developed by Carlini et al., aims to understand and mitigate privacy risks in LLMs, contributing to safer model deployment.
  • Fundamental Research on AI Measurements
    As part of NIST’s AI portfolio, this project conducts fundamental research to establish scientific foundations for measuring LLM performance, risks, and interactions. It includes developing evaluation metrics, benchmarks, and standards to ensure LLMs are reliable and trustworthy in diverse applications.
  • Adversarial Machine Learning (AML) Taxonomy for LLMs
    NIST developed a taxonomy of adversarial machine learning attacks, including those targeting LLMs, such as evasion, data poisoning, privacy, and abuse attacks. This project standardizes terminology and provides guidance to enhance LLM security against malicious manipulations, benefiting both cybersecurity and AI communities.
  • Use-Inspired AI Research for LLM Applications
    NIST’s AI portfolio includes use-inspired research to advance LLM applications across government agencies and industries. This project develops guidelines and tools to operationalize LLMs responsibly, focusing on practical implementations like text summarization, translation, and question-answering systems.

Remarks:

  • These projects reflect NIST’s focus on evaluating, standardizing, and securing LLMs rather than developing LLMs themselves. NIST’s role is to provide frameworks, guidelines, and evaluations to ensure trustworthy AI.
  • Some projects, like ARIA and AI RMF, are broad programs that encompass LLMs among other AI systems, but they include specific LLM-related evaluations or applications.

 

Three Felonies a Day: How the Feds Target the Innocent

Department of Justice | June 24, 2004

The average professional in this country wakes up in the morning, goes to work, comes home, eats dinner, and then goes to sleep, unaware that he or she has likely committed several federal crimes that day. Why? The answer lies in the very nature of modern federal criminal laws, which have exploded in number but also become impossibly broad and vague.

In Three Felonies a Day, Harvey A. Silverglate reveals how federal criminal laws have become dangerously disconnected from the English common law tradition and how prosecutors can pin arguable federal crimes on any one of us, for even the most seemingly innocuous behavior.

The volume of federal crimes in recent decades has increased well beyond the statute books and into the morass of the Code of Federal Regulations, handing federal prosecutors an additional trove of vague and exceedingly complex and technical prohibitions to stick on their hapless targets.

The dangers spelled out in Three Felonies a Day do not apply solely to “white collar criminals,” state and local politicians, and professionals. No social class or profession is safe from this troubling form of social control by the executive branch, and nothing less than the integrity of our constitutional democracy hangs in the balance.

Preview

Related:

Mens rea

Have you been certified to do that work?

15 USC 4301: Definitions Text contains those laws in effect on February 9, 2025: From Title 15-COMMERCE AND TRADECHAPTER 69-COOPERATIVE RESEARCH

See Also: Cato Institute

Credegrees

Community Risk Assessment

Château de Meudon

We have advocated education community risk management concepts since 2007; primarily in NFPA Standard 1300 — Standard on Community Risk Assessment and Community Risk Reduction Plan Development (formerly NFPA 1600).  The content of this title is close-coupled with FEMA’s National Incident Management System.   

Recently the National Fire Protection Association Standards Council moved to consolidate its community risk management titles as described below.  

“NFPA 1660 is in a custom cycle due to the Emergency Response and Responder Safety Document Consolidation Plan (consolidation plan) as approved by the NFPA Standards Council.  As part of the consolidation plan, NFPA 1660 (combining Standards NFPA 1600, NFPA 1616, and NFPA 1620) is open for public input with a closing date of November 13, 2020.”

Thus, NFPA 1600 is being sunsetted as a separate consensus product, its substance rolled into the new NFPA 1660.  CLICK HERE for the new landing page for NFPA 1660.

Two links below provide a sense of the back-and-forth in the technical committee meetings:

1600_F2018_EMB_AAA_FD_PIResponses

1600_F2018_EMB_AAA_SRReport

Discussion about school and university security are noteworthy.

As described on its title page, this product will be reconfigured as NFPA 1660 Standard on Community Risk Assessment, Pre-Incident Planning, Mass Evacuation, Sheltering, and Re-entry Programs.   The title suggests that NFPA 1660 is being developed to meet market need for conformance and teaching tools.  You may track movement in the concepts in the links below; many of them administrative:

Emergency Management and Business Continuity

Mass Evacuation and Sheltering

Pre-Incident Planning 

NFPA 1660 will likely require one or two more revision cycles to stabilize

Public consultation on the Second Draft (NITMAM) closes September 9th.  You may submit public input directly to NFPA by CLICKING HERE.  We will have hosted several Security colloquia ahead of this deadline during which we will drill into technical and policy specifics.

University of Tennessee

 

We maintain this title on our periodic Security, Disaster and Risk colloquia during which time  our thoughts on the economic burden of the expanding constellation of risk management standards will be known.  Thoughts that we are reluctant to write.   See our  CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

Issue: [13-58] and [18-151]

Category: Security, Risk

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Robert G. Arno, Jim Harvey, Richard Robben

MORE >> Disaster Resiliency and NFPA Codes and Standards

ARCHIVE / Emergency Management and Business Continuity

 

Risk Assessment in Emergency Facilities

 

Critical Operations Power Systems: Improving Risk Assessment in Emergency Facilities with Reliability Engineering

University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, Michigan
HP Critical Facilities Services | Bethesda, Maryland
Mark Beirne

DLB Associates | Chicago, Illinois

Abstract. The key feature of this article is the application of quantitative method for evaluating risk and conveying the results into a power system design that is scaled according to hazards present in any given emergency management district. These methods employ classical lumped parameter modeling of power chain architectures and can be applied to any type of critical facility, whether it is a stand-alone structure, or a portion of stand-alone structure, such as a police station or government center. This article will provide a risk assessment roadmap for one of the most common critical facilities that should be designated as COPS per NEC 708-a 911 call center. The existing methods of reliability engineering will be used in the risk assessment.

 

* Robert Schuerger is the lead author on this paper

CLICK HERE to order complete article: IEEE Industry Applications Magazine | Volume 19 Issue 5 • Sept.-Oct.-2013

 

Floor & Pathway Safety

“Weather is fate”

— Charles Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu

“Road to Versailles at Louveciennes” 1869 Camille Pissarro

Today and its Slip and Fall season everywhere. Accordingly, at the usual hour, we review best practice literature for the safety and sustainability of the surfaces beneath our feet; with special focus on the risk aggregation in educational estates.

Bates v. State Bar of Arizona, 433 U.S. 350 (1977)

Provision of Slip Resistance on Walking/Working Surfaces

Related coverage:

Heat tracing is a process used to maintain or raise the temperature of pipes and vessels in order to prevent freezing, maintain process temperature, or ensure that products remain fluid and flow through the system properly.

Heat tracing works by using an electric heating cable or tape that is wrapped around the pipe or vessel, and then insulated to help retain the heat. The heating cable is connected to a power source and temperature control system that maintains the desired temperature by regulating the amount of heat output from the cable. Heat tracing is commonly used in industrial applications where temperature control is critical, such as in chemical plants, refineries, and oil and gas facilities.

There are several types of heat tracing, including electric heat tracing, steam tracing, and hot water tracing, each of which have their own unique advantages and disadvantages. The selection of the appropriate type of heat tracing depends on the specific application and the required temperature range, as well as factors such as cost, maintenance, and safety considerations.

The literature for snow and ice management (and enjoyment) produced by these standards-setting organizations:

Accredited Snow Contractors Association

American Society of Civil Engineers

American Society of Mechanical Engineers

ASTM International

FM Global

Destructive Deep Freeze Strikes Cold and Hot Regions Alike

Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers

Electrical Heat Tracing: International Harmonization — Now and in the Future

International Code Council

International Building Code: Chapter 15 Roof Assemblies and Rooftop Structures

National Electrical Contractors Association

National Fire Protection Association

Winter is Coming: Is Your Facility Protected? (Holly Burgess, November 2022)

National Electrical Code: Articles 426-427

National Floor Safety Institute

Snow and Ice Management Association

Underwriters Laboratories

Manufacturers:

Chromalox Electrical Heat Tracing Systems Design Guide


It is a surprisingly large domain with market-makers in every dimension of safety and sustainability; all of whom are bound by state and federal regulations.

Join us at 16:00 UTC with the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.


There have been several recent innovations that have made it possible for construction activity to continue through cold winter months. Some of the most notable ones include:

  1. Heated Job Site Trailers: These trailers are equipped with heating systems that keep workers warm and comfortable while they take breaks or work on plans. This helps to keep morale up and prevent cold-related health issues.
  2. Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs): ICFs are prefabricated blocks made of foam insulation that are stacked together to form the walls of a building. The foam insulation provides an extra layer of insulation to keep the building warm during cold winter months.
  3. Warm-Mix Asphalt (WMA): WMA is a type of asphalt that is designed to be used in colder temperatures than traditional hot-mix asphalt. This allows road construction crews to work through the winter months without having to worry about the asphalt cooling and becoming unusable.
  4. Pneumatic Heaters: These heaters are used to warm up the ground before concrete is poured. This helps to prevent the concrete from freezing and becoming damaged during the winter months.
  5. Electrically Heated Mats: These mats are placed on the ground to prevent snow and ice from accumulating. This helps to make the job site safer and easier to work on during the winter months.

Overall, these innovations have made it possible for construction crews to work through the winter months more comfortably and safely, which has helped to keep projects on schedule and minimize delays.

Somewhat related:

Why so much slip and fall attorney advertisements after SCOTUS Bates v. State Bar of Arizona (1977)

Electrical heat tracing: international harmonization-now and in the future

 

 

 

 

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