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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies) | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2013
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 Federal Signal Corporation and its subsidiaries included herein and have been prepared by the Company pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“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 the information presented is not misleading. These condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Company’s accounting policies described in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, and should be read in conjunction with those consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto. These statements include all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals, that we considered necessary to present a fair statement of our results of operations, financial position and cash flows. 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, our first, second and third quarters are labeled as ending on March 31, June 30 and September 30, respectively. 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 11 – Discontinued Operations, the Company completed the disposition of the assets of its Federal Signal Technologies (“FSTech”) Group in the third quarter of 2012. The condensed consolidated financial statements and footnotes for the three months ended March 31, 2012 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, including reclassifications for discontinued operations as previously discussed.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements and Accounting Changes | Recent Accounting Pronouncements and Accounting Changes In January 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2013-01, Balance Sheet (Topic 210), Clarifying the Scope of Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities. This update further clarified the guidance previously issued under ASU No. 2011-11, which required both gross and net presentation of offsetting assets and liabilities. The new requirements were effective retrospectively for fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and for interim periods within those fiscal years. As the guidance impacted disclosure requirements only, the Company’s adoption of the guidance on January 1, 2013 did not have an impact on its results of operations, financial position or cash flows. In February 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-02, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220), Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. The guidance was issued in response to ASU No. 2011-05 and required disclosure of the effect of significant reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income on the respective line items of net income, if the amounts reclassified are required under U.S. GAAP to be reclassified in their entirety to net income in the same reporting period. For other amounts not required to be reclassified to net income in their entirety in the same reporting period, or when a portion of the amount is reclassified to a balance sheet account instead of directly to income or expense, a cross reference to the related footnote disclosures for additional information should be provided. The new requirements were effective prospectively for fiscal years beginning on or after December 15, 2012, and for interim periods within those fiscal years. As the guidance impacted disclosure requirements only, the Company’s adoption of the guidance on January 1, 2013 did not have an impact on its results of operations, financial position or cash flows. For additional information, see Note 8 – Shareholders’ Equity. In February 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-04, Liabilities (Topic 405), Obligations Resulting from Joint and Several Liability Arrangements for Which the Total Amount of the Obligation Is Fixed at the Reporting Date. This update provides guidance for the recognition, measurement and disclosure of obligations resulting from joint and several liability arrangements for which the total amount of the obligation within the scope of this update is fixed at the reporting date, except for obligations addressed within existing U.S. GAAP. The guidance requires an entity to measure those obligations as the sum of the amount the reporting entity agreed to pay on the basis of its arrangement among its co-obligors and any additional amount the reporting entity expects to pay on behalf of its co-obligors. The new requirements are effective for fiscal years that begin on or after December 15, 2013, and for interim periods within those fiscal years. Retrospective presentation for all comparative periods presented is required. The Company expects that the adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact on its results of operations, financial position or cash flows. In March 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-05, Foreign Currency Matters (Topic 830), Parent’s Accounting for the Cumulative Translation Adjustment upon Derecognition of Certain Subsidiaries or Groups of Assets within a Foreign Entity or of an Investment in a Foreign Entity. This guidance clarifies the release of the cumulative translation adjustment into net income when a parent either sells a part or all of its investment in a foreign entity or no longer holds a controlling financial interest in a subsidiary or group of assets that is a business within a foreign entity. The new requirements are effective prospectively for fiscal years beginning on or after December 15, 2013, and for interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company expects that the adoption of this guidance will not have a material impact on its 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, income tax contingency accruals and valuation allowances, workers’ compensation and product warranty accruals, asset impairment, 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, 2012.

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