About Us

Based in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom (NEK), Train NEK offers SOLO-certifying Rural and Backcountry Medicine courses including Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness First Responder, First Aid and CPR – helping outdoor professionals and rural enthusiasts alike more fully enjoy Vermont outdoors. Prepare to challenge yourself and connect with other outdoor adventurers!

At Train NEK, we want as many people as possible to feel empowered and knowledgeable in responding to illness and injury in their outdoor and rural communities. We value the creativity that stems from collaboration and inclusion, and the invigorating sense of well-being we gain through spending time in nature. The outdoors is for every body, and all are welcome here! We offer no-cost, drop-in CPR refresher sessions at area farmer’s markets and have always let Northeast Kingdom residents audit our courses for free.

Train NEK was founded by Andrea Kane, Lead SOLO Instructor since 1999, to provide engaging instruction, personalized attention, and local convenience while promoting responsible use of our natural resources and collaborating with others in and around the NEK’s outdoor industry.

Contact Us

Web: trainnek.com

Text or Call: 802-522-0769

Email: Info at TrainNEK dot com

Mailing Address: PO Box 132, Peacham, VT 05862-0132

Instructor Bios

Andrea Kane

Andrea grew up in Sutton, Vermont three miles from Lake Willoughby and has been involved in emergency response for over two decades – from Wilderness First Responder to Emergency Medical Technician to Advanced Wilderness EMT – earning Pediatric Emergency Prehospital Provider, Prehospital Trauma Life Support, and Ice Rescue Technician along the way. She was Crew Chief and Training Coordinator for Vergennes Rescue, served on UVM Medical Center’s ED Quality Improvement Team, and provided emergency relief in Texas following Hurricane Ike and around Vermont following Tropical Storm Irene. Since 1999, she has been Lead Instructor at SOLO School of Wilderness Medicine teaching individuals how to respond to emergencies with limited resources. For four years as an Advanced EMT, Andrea taught EMTs through UVM’s Initiative for Rural EMS including Middlebury College’s intensive three-week-long EMT courses. She was Director of Outdoor Pursuits at Simon’s Rock College, ran the UVM Adventure Ropes Course, built and paddled kayaks with youth at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum and helped develop and direct Northlands Job Corps’ Leadership Program. Andrea has a BA in Gender and Ethnic Studies from UVM and is passionate about natural resource stewardship, access for all to outdoor pursuits, and prepared, informed enjoyment of the outdoors. She lives in Peacham where she is a Corporator for Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital and a member of the Green Mountain Club’s Northeast Kingdom Section.

Jeff Lane

Jeff Lane is a Wilderness EMT with over twenty years experience teaching in the outdoors. Jeff is an EMT, a ski patroller at Burke Mountain ski area, and an avalanche instructor through the winter. He also works as a USFS Snow Ranger in the White Mountain National Forest, doing avalanche forecasting and search and rescue. He has a graduate degree in Outdoor Education from the University of New Hampshire.

Katherine Siner

Katherine G. Siner joined our team in 2019. She is a local native of the Northeast Kingdom, taking her first turns as a kid on Burke Mountain. The love for big mountains and open landscapes brought her to Montana, where she became a Wilderness EMT. She spent years working for the Appalachian Mountain Club’s NH huts department, volunteering on their mountain search and rescue team. After working as a commercial fisherwoman in Bristol Bay Alaska, Katherine became a National Ski Patroller. She holds a degree in nursing and sustainable agriculture. In the summer you can find her gardening at her farm in Peacham or waterskiing with her two daughters. She is a pediatric/school nurse full time. She also works as a labor & delivery nurse.

Bob Giolito

Bob Giolito is the founding member of Killington Mountain Guides, LLC. He is a licensed New York State Guide for rock & ice climbing, a certified AMGA Single Pitch Instructor for rock climbing, a certified NASAR (National Association for Search and Rescue) MLPI instructor, and has completed the SOLO Wilderness Medicine Instructor Training. Bob holds certifications in A.I.A.R.E – 1 & Avalanche Rescue and is a National Registry EMT and SOLO Wilderness EMT. He is also a DPS Ski Ambassador, Revo pro, and is a Pro-Staff Skier for Base Camp Outfitters in Killington, Vermont. Bob holds a B.S. in Wilderness Based Outdoor Recreation Leadership from Unity College. Since beginning mountaineering at a young age, Bob has garnered extensive experience including climbing Wyoming’s three highest peaks in a month, accomplishing multiple first ascents, and taking trips across the United States including the Grand Canyon, Red Rocks, Absaroka Range, and Acadia National Park. Bob instructed Extra Technical Mountaineering Courses for the Colorado Outward Bound School, worked as a professional Killington Ski Patroller, and spent 10 years as a State Trooper on the Vermont State Police Search and Rescue Team, with 7 years assigned to the Canine Unit. In 2008, he received “Canine Tracking Team of the Year ” with K9 Mitch from the Vermont Police Canine Association. Bob was awarded a Life Saving Award from former Vermont Governor Jim Douglas for pulling a woman to safety from a burning car. Bob co-founded Killington Search and Rescue, a volunteer search and rescue team based out of Killington, Vermont.

Logo by Craig Harrison of Harrison Creative