A system and method to enable a local communications systems to respond appropriately to all extra-jurisdictional emergency dialing numbers by connecting the call to an interactive emergency language system. Additionally, and importantly, the system uses the dialed emergency services number as an initial indication that the caller may need a translator, an emergency services operator that has language skills associated with the country or countries where the emergency dialing code is used, or both. The interactive emergency language system interactively determines the preferred language of the caller and causes the call to be routed to a public safety answering point position that has the appropriate language skills. If the language cannot be determined or there is no local support for the selected language, then the call is bridged to a translation agency and the call is routed to the PSAP that serves the geographic location of the caller.