At the 2025 First Responders Dinner, hosted by the Orange County Business Council, the Orange trauma center and Regional Burn Center teams were honored for their rapid and coordinated response to a small plane crash in Fullerton on January 2, 2025. Within minutes of the incident, the teams mobilized to prepare for burn victims and a potential mass casualty event.
Led by Syed Saquib, MD, medical director of the burn center, and supported by clinicians including Dr. James Jeng, Dr. Lourdes Swentek, and others, the team treated multiple patients, including one critically injured individual with burns over 75% of their body. Their efforts ensured timely triage, stabilization, and expert care, preventing further loss of life.
This recognition highlights the vital role of UCI Health — Orange, the county’s only Level I trauma center and ABA-verified Regional Burn Center affiliated with an academic medical center, in delivering high-level emergency and burn care.