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<TYPE>EX-31.1
<SEQUENCE>19
<FILENAME>l05867aexv31w1.txt
<DESCRIPTION>EX-31.1
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                                  EXHIBIT 31.1

 CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULES 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) OF THE EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

I, Kevin J. McNamara, certify that:

         1.       I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of
         Roto-Rooter, Inc. ("registrant");

         2.       Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
         statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
         to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which
         such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period
         covered by this report;

         3.       Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other
         financial information included in this annual report, fairly present in
         all material respects the financial condition, results of operations,
         and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented
         in this report;

         4.       The registrant's other certifying officers and I are
         responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and
         procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15 (e))
         and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange
         Act Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

                  a)      Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or
                  caused such disclosure controls or procedures to be designed
                  under our supervision, to ensure that material information
                  relating to the registrant, including its consolidated
                  subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those
                  entities, particularly during the period in which this report
                  is being prepared;

                  b)      Designed such internal control over financial
                  reporting, or caused such internal control over financial
                  reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide
                  reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial
                  reporting and the preparation of financial statements for
                  external purposes in accordance with generally accepted
                  accounting principles;

                  c)      Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's
                  disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this
                  report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the
                  disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the
                  period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

                  d)      Disclosed in this report any change in the
                  registrant's internal control over financial reporting that
                  occurred during the registrant's fourth quarter in 2003 that
                  has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially
                  affect, the registrant's internal control over financial
                  reporting.

         5.       The registrant's other certifying officers and I have
         disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over
         financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit
         committee of registrant's board of directors:

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          a)      all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
          design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which
          are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to
          record, process, summarize and report financial information;

          b)      any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
          or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's
          internal control over financial reporting.

Date: March 10, 2004                  /s/ Kevin J. McNamara
                                    -----------------------------------
                                    Kevin J. McNamara
                                    (President & Chief Executive Officer)


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