Leonard Jenkins had always dreamed of becoming a firefighter. His dream became a reality in 1974 when he was hired by the Ventura County Fire Department. He moved through the ranks to become captain, but his first love was being an engineer. He particularly enjoyed working with the hand crew and the dozer operators. Leonard was an inspiration to many, always encouraging others to reach their full potential. Off duty, he was a family man, who enjoyed waterskiing, building houses and riding horses, motorcycles and tractors. After retirement, he moved to Texas and got his pilot license. He loved flying. He died of job-related cardiac arrest.