Exhibit 31.1

       CERTIFICATIONS PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-14 OF THE EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

I, Kevin J. McNamara, certify that:

    1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K/A of Roto-Rooter, Inc.;

    2. Based on my knowledge, this annual 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 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 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 annual 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
       most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonable
       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 the registrant's board
    of directors:

       a) all significant deficiencies 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: December 17, 2003                    /s/ Kevin J. McNamara
                                           -------------------------------------
                                           Kevin J. McNamara
                                           (President & Chief Executive Officer)

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