News release

Weekly Media Release - Trail and Greater District RCMP - 2025-09-15

September 18, 2025 - Trail, British Columbia
From: Trail RCMP

Content

SAFE Program available 24/7 in the Trail and Greater District area

The BC Ministry of Health has mandated that every health region be able to provide competent sexual assault care to those presenting to the emergency department in BC. Interior Health’s response was to develop a program that was subdivided into seven areas, Kootenay Boundary being one of them. Each area has a permanent Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) coordinator who is responsible for implementing the standards and procedures for the documentation and exams, along with having protocols in place for documents, evidentiary storing and record keeping and being a general point of contact.

In Trail, SAFE examiners are on-call 24/7 and can respond in the hour to a patient presenting to the emergency room. The other hospitals in the region are currently working to provide on-site examinations with 24/7 on-call virtual support from trained SAFE examiners through the tele-SAFE program (which is the first of its kind in Canada). This is a continuing development in progress.

There are 6 main goals for the SAFE program as a whole:

1. 24/7 coverage by on-site SAFE examiners in Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital
2. Patients to feel comfortable presenting to the ER, even if they are not sure what they want done medically and/or forensic-wise
3. To connect patients to resources and support
4. To reduce the medical barriers patients may face when asking for help
5. To build collaborative relationships with community partners
6. Provide technical support to medical staff in area hospitals that do not have on–site SAFE examiners

Patients that qualify for the program include:

• 13-year-olds, medically cleared by the ER, able to give consent, assault happened with 7 days, and they want to be seen by a SAFE examiner.
• Patients that suspect they were sexually assaulted but have no recollection can also be seen by us, and we can provide all options in that case.
• For those 13–19-year-olds: they can present to the ER independently and we will provide them with all options for care.

For anyone 12-year-olds and younger, the ER is advised to call specialists at SCAN or BC Children’s Hospital to guide the care required for that patient.

SAFE examinations can include:

1. A medical-forensic history of the event
2. Head to toe exam, including a pelvic exam looking for injuries
3. Collection of forensic evidence (patients can choose to involve the police that day, or have evidence collected and stored for 1 year to buy them time to decide whether to involve the police, or no forensic evidence collection done at all)
4. STI and pregnancy prophylaxis
5. Providing appropriate follow up and resources

“Trail RCMP has been working with Kootenay Boundary SAFE Coordinator Elisha Anderson to highlight this program within the West Kootenays. Victims of sexual assault can report incidents to the police at any time and day. The SAFE program can now quickly support the victim by providing forensic examinations and evidence collection which will assist with their investigation. This program is a breakthrough service when providing immediate medical care and forensic service to victims. This can be a critical factor in victims coming forward and reporting to police, if they know that they can get help when they need it, without a long and difficult wait,” says Sergeant Mike Wicentowich.

Please visit the Interior Health website for more information on the Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) Program.

Everyone should care to be bear aware

Trail and Greater District RCMP has begun received calls from the public about increased bear activity in populated neighbours. Trail RCMP remind the public that bears have returned to populated areas and are looking for food sources to help fatten up for the long winter hibernation ahead.

To help reduce human/bear conflict in your neighbourhood, please consider the following guidance:

• Do not store garbage outdoors; if you do not have a space indoors, consider using certified bear-resistant containers and securing them to something solid
• Pick up fallen fruit; after checking local bylaws consider electric fencing to protect your tree and prevent bears from accessing the fruit
• Remove bird feeders or hang them so that they are inaccessible to bears and other non-target species; do not let seed accumulate on the ground which will attract rodents, rats and other species; feed small amounts at a time and keep feeders clean; bears are also attracted to hummingbird feeders
• Do not feed pets outdoors; if you must, only provide what they will consume immediately and bring the dishes inside
• Keep your barbecue clean; burn off any food residue and give the grill a thorough scrub after each use; empty the grease catcher after each use
• Manage your outdoor compost by burying and/or avoiding adding food scraps to the mix

If you plan to be active in the wild this fall, make sure you take the following precautions to help reduce potential encounters:

• Plan ahead. All of BC is considered wildlife country. Know what type of wildlife you are likely to encounter while recreating and take the necessary steps to avoid an encounter. If you do encounter wildlife, know how to react appropriately. When exploring trails or camping, check for recent wildlife alerts or notices that may be posted.
• Know the wildlife’s timetable. Are they in the area year-round and can you schedule your recreation in that area to be at a time when the wildlife won’t be there? Or is there a daily routine for the wildlife? Often mid-day is a good time to avoid many types of larger predators and conversely, dawn and dusk, are inopportune times to be in the area.
• Carry bear spray with you at all times. Bear spray is effective against all large mammals and should be your first choice as a deterrent. Ensure that you keep the bear spray accessible regardless of your activity.
• Certain sports, like mountain biking or running, increase your risk of encountering wildlife (due to your speed and lack of sound) - recognize this and increase your vigilance.

For more information on human/wildlife conflict, please visit the WildSafeBC website.

Contacts