EXHIBIT 31.1

                                  CERTIFICATION

I, Jack E. Brucker, certify that:

           1.         I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of
                      Rural/Metro Corporation;

           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 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 officer 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)) for the registrant and have:

                      a)         designed such disclosure controls and
                                 procedures, or caused such disclosure controls
                                 and 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)         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

                      c)         disclosed in this report any change in the
                                 registrant's internal control over financial
                                 reporting that occurred during the registrant's
                                 most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's
                                 fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual
                                 report) that has materially affected, or is
                                 reasonably likely to materially affect, the
                                 registrant's internal control over financial
                                 reporting; and

           5.         The registrant's other certifying officer 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 the registrant's board
                      of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
                      functions):

                      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; and

                      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: May 16, 2005

                                       /s/ Jack E. Brucker
                                       --------------------------------------
                                       President and Chief Executive Officer
                                       Rural/Metro Corporation