It took emergency responders 5 1/2 hours to locate Dallas and Catherine Ratcliff after their plane went down in a Big Island lava field in 2004. However, rescuers could have reached the vacationing couple and their pilot hours earlier if an enhanced 911 emergency network for wireless phones had been in place.

Now, more than two years later, a system to locate cell-phone callers remains unavailable across most of Hawai'i. Yet the state has collected more than $12 million in fees from cell-phone users since July 2004 to pay for technology to track wireless 911 callers.

Only about $50,000 of that money has been spent and 750,000 cell-phone users across the state still pay 66 cents a month for a service that locates wireless phone users only on Maui.

"That's a technology they should have had" on April 18, 2004, said Dallas Ratcliff of West Portsmouth, Ohio. That was the day the plane the Ratcliffs were riding in crashed and burned near the fishing village of Miloli'i. The couple were able to call for emergency help almost immediately, but they were unable to tell rescuers where they were.

The Ratcliffs, who were severely burned, endured stinging rain and hypoglycemia for more than five hours before they were rescued. The plane's pilot fell into a ravine in a vain attempt to find help.

"The pilot wouldn't have fallen into a crevice," said Ratcliff, 63. "It would probably have saved us from going into shock. We're both diabetic. If we would have had that, it would have really helped."

County officials said such situations, where wireless phone users do not know where they are, are rare.

Still, plans exist to rollout technology to pinpoint wireless 911 callers statewide. O'ahu and the Big Island are expected to begin providing the service on a limited basis by year's end. Kaua'i is expected to get the service sometime after that.

THE DELAYS

Delays in implementing the service are a result of lengthy municipal budgeting and approval processes and a lack of technical expertise.

"It's really not any one thing," said Maj. Sam Thomas, division commander for technical services for the Hawai'i County Police Department. "It's a combination of things" that have slowed implementation.

Meanwhile, cell phone users pay 66 cents each month into the state's Wireless Enhanced 911 Fund, and the account has grown to $12 million.

NO UP-FRONT MONEY

Part of the problem, according to Roy Irei, chairman of the fund, is that counties can seek only reimbursements instead of getting money up front to improve their wireless tracking systems.

"We can't really spend the money for them, so that's been one of the issues," he said. "That's one of the reasons the fund is so large."

Verizon Wireless subscriber Charlotte Quon said she doesn't mind paying the fee, as long as the system is eventually put into place.

"Sixty-six cents is minor," said the Kaimuki resident. "I think it's good that they're planning to do something. At least they have the money if they decide to do something with it."

In Honolulu, county officials decided to learn from Maui's experience with the technology before moving ahead, said Gordon Bruce, director for the city Department of Information Technology.

So far, Maui County has spent about $300,000, and Hawai'i County officials estimate they'll spend a comparable amount of money. There is no estimated cost for the Honolulu operations.

"We haven't the slightest idea" how much the upgrades will cost, Bruce said. "We'll probably know in a month."

The 66-cent charge was set by the Legislature. Although the 911 tax includes no sunset provision, the board that oversees the Wireless Enhanced 911 fund can petition the Legislature to reduce it or repeal it.

"We're looking into that but prior to us jumping the gun on that we're going out to all of the (public safety agencies) and wireless carriers to get a estimate of their costs (for emergency networks)," Irei said.

The 66-cent fee is charged against each cell phone number not connected with federal, state or county government. Wireless phone companies are allowed to keep 1.32 cents of the 66 cents to cover costs associated with collecting the fee, or an estimated $240,000 so far.

Emergency services dispatchers already can identify the addresses and locations of those who dial 911 from regular land lines. However, about half of all 911 calls are made by cell phone users.

On Maui, global positioning system technology using orbiting satellites makes it possible to find a caller's location to within several hundred feet. The technology is especially helpful in situations where callers are disoriented or are unfamiliar with their surroundings, said Lt. Tivoli Faaumu, commander of communications for the Maui Police Department.

"It is important for us here because of the visitors," Faaumu said. "When they're lost they tell us they're 'near the beach,' or they're 'near the ocean.'" Not very helpful, Faaumu said.

"It's also important for our local residents, too. Sometimes they're not familiar with the area they're at," he added.

'JUST NOT WORKING'

Locating wireless 911 callers is an important public safety effort, agreed Lowell Kalapa, president of the nonprofit Tax Foundation of Hawai'i. However, the Wireless 911 Fund is an example of state government inefficiency, he said.

That's because counties must go through a time-consuming budgetary and procurement process before being reimbursed for their costs.

"It's just another one of those taxes that tries to nickel-and- dime you," Kalapa said. But, "It's just not working. It's the whole idea of not understanding the problem before you jump."

Reach Sean Hao at shao@honoluluadvertiser.com.