Methods and apparatus for supporting emergency communications are provided. A method for a Radio Access Network (RAN) serving at least one Core Network (CN) to support emergency communications of a User Equipment (UE) includes determining whether at least one CN in a shared network environment supports emergency communications, if it is determined that the at least one CN in the shared network environment supports emergency communications, transmitting an emergency call support indication to the UE indicating that emergency communications are supported, receiving a request for emergency communications from the UE, and routing the request for emergency communications to another CN that supports emergency communications in the shared network environment, if a given CN does not support emergency communications.