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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies) | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2012
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Organization and Description of the Business | Organization and Description of the Business Federal Signal Corporation was founded in 1901 and was reincorporated as a Delaware corporation in 1969. References herein to the “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us” refer collectively to Federal Signal Corporation and its subsidiaries.
Basis of Presentation and Consolidation | Basis of Presentation and Consolidation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements represent the consolidation of the Company included herein and have been prepared by the Company pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations, although the Company believes that the disclosures are adequate to ensure that the information presented is not misleading. These condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto. These statements include all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) that we considered necessary for a fair presentation. The results reported in these condensed consolidated financial statements should not be regarded as necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the entire year. We label our quarterly information using a calendar convention; that is, first quarter is labeled as ending on March 31, second quarter as ending on June 30, and third quarter as ending on September 30. It is our longstanding practice to establish interim quarterly closing dates using a 5-4-4 calendar with the fiscal year ending on December 31. The effects of this practice are modest and only exist within a reporting year. As discussed in Note 12 – Discontinued Operations, on June 21, 2012, the Company announced that it had signed a definitive agreement to sell its Federal Signal Technologies (“FSTech”) Group. On September 4, 2012, the Company completed the disposition of the assets of its FSTech Group. As the Company had met the held for sale criteria during the second quarter of 2012, the FSTech Group has been reported as a discontinued operation. The condensed consolidated financial statements for all periods presented have been recast to present the operating results of the held for sale and previously divested or exited businesses as discontinued operations. We have reclassified certain prior-period amounts to conform to the current period presentation.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements and Accounting Changes | Recent Accounting Pronouncements and Accounting Changes In May 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2011-04, Fair Value Measurement Topic 820, Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRS (“ASU 2011-04”), which amends the definition of fair value measurement principles and disclosure requirements to eliminate differences between U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”). ASU 2011-04 requires new quantitative and qualitative disclosures about the sensitivity of recurring Level 3 measurement disclosures, as well as transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. The Company’s adoption of this guidance on January 1, 2012 did not impact the Company’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-05, Topic 220, Presentation of Comprehensive Income (“ASU 2011-05”),, which requires companies to include a statement of comprehensive income as part of their interim and annual financial statements. The new guidance gives companies the option to present net income and comprehensive income either in one continuous statement or in two separate but consecutive statements. This approach represents a change from current U.S. GAAP, which allows companies to report other comprehensive income (“OCI”) and its components in the statement of shareholders’ equity. The new guidance also allows companies to present OCI either net of tax with details in the notes or to present amounts gross (with tax effects shown parenthetically). The Company’s disclosure of comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011 is presented in the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of comprehensive income in this Form 10-Q. Under the new guidance, certain information included in the condensed consolidated statement of shareholders’ equity is shown in the new statement of comprehensive income. ASU 2011-05 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning January 1, 2012, and should be applied retrospectively. The new guidance impacts presentation only and the Company’s adoption of this guidance on January 1, 2012 did not have an impact on its financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-08, Topic 350, Testing of Goodwill for Impairment (“ASU 2011-08”), which allows companies to assess qualitative factors to determine whether they need to perform the two-step quantitative goodwill impairment test. Under the option, an entity no longer would be required to calculate the fair value of a reporting unit unless it determines, based on that qualitative assessment, that it is more likely than not that its fair value is less than its carrying amount. ASU 2011-08 may change how a company tests goodwill for impairment but should not change the timing or measurement of goodwill impairments. ASU 2011-08 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company performed its annual goodwill impairment test as of October 31, 2011. The Company’s adoption of this guidance on January 1, 2012 did not have an impact on its results of operations, financial position, or cash flows. In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-11, Topic 210, Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities. This update is intended to improve the comparability of statements of financial position prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and IFRS, requiring both gross and net presentation of offsetting assets and liabilities. The new requirements are effective for fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and for interim periods within those fiscal years. As this guidance only affects disclosures, the Company expects that the adoption of this standard will not have an impact on the Company’s results of operations, financial position, or cash flows.
Use of Estimates | Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses. Significant estimates and assumptions are used for, but are not limited to, revenue recognition, pension and other postretirement benefits, allowance for doubtful accounts, income tax contingency accruals and valuation allowances, product warranty accruals, asset impairment, purchase price allocation and litigation-related accruals. Actual results could differ from our estimates. There have been no changes to the Company’s significant accounting policies as disclosed in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011.
Restricted Cash | Restricted Cash Restricted cash of $1.5 million at September 30, 2012 consisted of cash deposited with various financial institutions that was pledged as collateral for the Company’s cash-collateralized letters of credit related to equipment and service performance guarantees.

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- Definition Entity's cash and cash equivalents accounting policy with respect to restricted balances. Restrictions may include legally restricted deposits held as compensating balances against short-term borrowing arrangements, contracts entered into with others, or company statements of intention with regard to particular deposits; however, time deposits and short-term certificates of deposit are not generally included in legally restricted deposits. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 305 -SubTopic 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/subtopic&trid=2122427 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 942 -SubTopic 210 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.1(a)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367646&loc=d3e18780-107790 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 03 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph a -Article 9 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367179&loc=d3e4273-108586 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 1 -Article 5 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Financial Reporting Release (FRR) -Number 203 -Paragraph 02-03 + Details
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- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy for the use of estimates in the preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Statement of Position (SOP) -Number 94-6 -Paragraph 11, 14 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6927468&loc=d3e6143-108592 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 8 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6927468&loc=d3e6132-108592 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6927468&loc=d3e6061-108592 + Details
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