Has anyone on here ever paid for, and gone to the state fire academy before being hired? I've heard of a hand full of instances where this has happened around here where volunteer depts. will host / sponsor a member to go. However the member pays the expense. People who do this are then supposedly given preference over others when canvassed, because they now already have the needed training, thus saving the hiring department from having to pay for the academy as well as pay the individual. If by chance anyone on here has done this or heard of it; how did it, if at all, work out?