City staff told the Helena City Commission they plan to formalize an existing, informal practice of vetting nonprofits and faith-based groups that may provide emergency shelter during extreme-weather activations. Ben Kiper, chair of the Health and Citizen Council, said the HCC is preparing priorities for upcoming city-manager town halls and that the city's work will align with United Way's HEPPS (Helena Emergency Shelter Activation) plan.

A staff presentation described a voluntary registration program that would record inspected sites, capacity and primary contacts so the city and United Way's activation team can quickly identify vetted locations when the activation trigger occurs. "We're not recreating the wheel," staff said, noting the model is used elsewhere and is intended to streamline the process so facilities already inspected are ready to host guests when an activation occurs.

Commissioners asked about short-term options for facilities that do not yet meet full fire-code requirements. Staff said temporary mitigations such as an on-site fire watch are possible and that the city has not yet worked out formal waiver programs. They added a small funding mechanism to help organizations install or update smoke detectors or other minor safety items is under consideration for the future.

Staff said they have integrated the registration flow into the permitting system and expected to provide a registration tool to organizations by the end of the week for testing. No formal action or ordinance was adopted at the meeting; staff described the item as a voluntary program that will be brought online administratively.