STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A new program supplies kits with the opioid antidote naloxone to overdose victims after they are revived by FDNY EMS.

Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro on Friday announced the launch of the Leave Behind Naloxone Program. The initiative is included in the expansion of HealingNYC as part of a citywide effort to combat the raging opioid epidemic.

As of Friday, FDNY EMS personnel are trained and equipped to leave a personal naloxone kit with patients treated with that antidote. The kit is offered to a patient during transport to the hospital or at a scene if the overdose victim refuses further medical attention, according to a news release from the FDNY.

Family and friends who ask for naloxone kits in those emergency situations also will receive them, the FDNY said.

Each naloxone kit is stored in a blue pouch that contains two doses of naloxone intra-nasal spray, rubber gloves, a face shield, alcohol wipes, literature about the risk of opioid overdose, recognition and rescue steps, naloxone use instructions, rehabilitation resources, and a blue prescription card, the FDNY said.

The new program, funded though HealingNYC in coordination with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, "increases naloxone distribution and training on how to use this life-saving medication," said a news release from the FDNY.

FDNY members treat about 5,000 suspected opioid overdose patients each year citywide.

Having the kits on hand to administer before first responders arrive could make the difference between life and death, experts say.

In our borough between Jan. 1 and Aug. 20, there were 71 fatal overdoses and 171 "saves" using naloxone, according to previous information supplied by District Attorney Michael E. McMahon's office.

During the same time last year, there were 70 fatal overdoses and 128 naloxone saves, according to Advance records.

"This Leave Behind Naloxone program provides patients and family members with an opportunity to access a naloxone kit during a suspected overdose, potentially preventing an opioid-related death," Nigro said in a statement.

"Providing life-saving treatment, as well as education and instructions to prevent loss of life, is critical to the department's sworn mission of providing emergency pre-hospital care."

"We know that surviving a non-fatal overdose is one of the top risk factors for dying of overdose," said Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett. "By leaving behind naloxone with the friends and family of someone who survived an opioid overdose, EMS providers will provide a critical intervention and deliver naloxone to the people who need it most. I thank Commissioner Nigro and his team for adopting this program to save the lives of even more New Yorkers."

The life-saving efforts continue when patients arrive at Island hospitals and treatment facilities. Staten Island University Hospital and Richmond University Medical Center offer buprenorphine in its emergency departments to help patients suffering from substance misuse disorders get on the road to recovery.

Commonly used for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for addiction, buprenorphine is a medication that eases withdrawal symptoms and minimizes the craving for opioids.

The city is hitting the opioid epidemic hard on many fronts.

The city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene invested $300,000 annually in funding Safe Transition for Youth.net (safeTY.net) in Prince's Bay.

The program provides early intervention for those 16 to 24 years old by identifying any who are in early stages of substance use and addressing behaviors that show signs of a substance-use disorder.

In early August, it was announced that a surge of City Council discretionary funding will allow Staten Island drug treatment programs to continue helping struggling residents break free from addiction.

Councilman Steven Matteo announced that he, along with Speaker Corey Johnson, allocated $175,000 in Fiscal Year 2019 discretionary funds for Camelot of Staten Island and the Carl V. Bini Fund.