A 50-year veteran firefighter died Sunday night while preparing to battle a local brush fire. Redding Chief Ron Van Oostendorp says 67-year-old Lt. Marshall Sanford collapsed at around 6:30 p.m. He says Sanford fell as he brought equipment to an ambulance and died shortly thereafter. Sanford was a volunteer for both the Redding and Bethel fire departments. Family and friends say he was responsible for organizing the Redding Memorial Day parade, which will pay homage to him later this year. Medical officials have yet to release a cause of death.