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The Utah County Public Works Building, home of the county's warming center, is pictured Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Provo.

Jacob Nielson, Daily Herald

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The Utah County Public Works Building, home of the county's warming center, is pictured Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Provo.

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Utah County is making final preparations before opening a warming center Monday and welcoming unsheltered members of the community.

The Utah County Commission signed a memorandum of understanding between Community Action Services and Food Bank and the Utah County Winter Response Task Force for the operation and funding of the warming center on Wednesday. The county also ratified an agreement with All Pro Security to provide security at the shelter.

The Utah County Public Works Warehouse, or the Red Building, on 2855 S and State Street in Provo, will serve as the warming center nightly from Nov. 17 to March 1 from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

According to County Administrator Ezra Nair, Community Action will take over the lease of the building for the duration of the winter to run the warming center, while the county provides financial support.

“It’s a good partnership,” Nair said. “We’re basically running everything through them.”

During the commission meeting, Commissioner Amelia Powers Gardner said: “I think it’s the perfect example of an innovative partnership between nonprofits, government entities, private industry, and volunteer work from the community.”

This marks the second year of the warming center, and the first year it is in a centralized location.

The warming center will open a month later than it did last year on Oct. 15, but will provide more services and during the higher-demand stretches of the season, according to the county.

One of those services is security. Nair said the state provided the county with funds to hire security personnel. Under the agreement with All Pro Security, two officers will be on hand nightly, with one working from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. and the other from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

Officers will assist with metal detector duties and bag checks, and offer general safety and serve as a liaison for emergency service personnel.

“We didn’t have any security last year other than just as needed, like whenever we called someone in, but now we’ll have full-time private security just come through, scan everybody in, and then be available in case any problems arise,” Nair said.

Commission Chair Brandon Gordon said the county looked at having officers from the county sheriff’s office patrol the warming center, but determined it was too taxing for the officers and expensive to do so.

“These (security guards) are trained to (search bags), and we’re able to contract with the service at a fraction of what it would cost us to pay officers overtime,” Gordon said.

Community Action is calling for volunteers for the warming center. Twelve volunteers are need nightly, with three shifts of four going from 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., 12:30 a.m. to 5 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.