SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

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.

Products manufactured and supplied, and services rendered by the Company are divided into two operating segments: the Environmental Solutions Group and the Safety and Security Systems Group. The individual operating businesses are organized as such because they share certain characteristics, including technology, marketing, distribution and product application, which create long-term synergies. The Company’s reportable segments are consistent with its operating segments. These segments are discussed in Note 10 – Segment Information.

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 United States (“U.S.”) Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations, although the Company believes that the disclosures presented herein are adequate to ensure the information presented is not misleading. Except as otherwise noted, these condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Company’s accounting policies described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, and should be read in conjunction with those consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto.

These condensed consolidated financial statements include all normal and recurring adjustments that we considered necessary to present a fair statement of our results of operations, financial condition and cash flow. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. In addition, certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to current year 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. While we label our quarterly information using a calendar convention whereby 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 based on a 13-week period ending on a Saturday, with our fiscal year ending on December 31. The effects of this practice are not material and exist only within a reporting year.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements and Accounting Changes

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“Topic 606”), which supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 605, Revenue Recognition. Topic 606 is based on the principle that revenue is recognized to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. Topic 606 also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments, and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. The Company adopted this guidance effective January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective transition method. See Note 2 – Revenue Recognition for further details.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (“Topic 842”), which supersedes the lease accounting requirements in ASC 840, Leases (“Topic 840”). Topic 842 requires organizations that are lessees in operating lease arrangements to recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and requires disclosure of key qualitative and quantitative information about leasing arrangements by both lessors and lessees. Topic 842 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. As originally issued, entities would have been required to recognize and measure operating leases at the beginning of the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements, which provides entities with an alternative transition method that permits application of the new guidance at the beginning of the period of adoption, with comparative periods continuing to be reported under Topic 840.

In preparation for the adoption of the new standard, the Company has established a project management team responsible for the implementation of Topic 842. The project management team is currently assessing the transition methods and impact that the adoption of this guidance will have on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. This assessment includes the evaluation of the Company’s current lease contracts and other contracts that may contain lease components. In addition, the Company is in the process of designing and implementing internal controls over gathering and reporting the information required to support the expanded disclosure requirements. Based on the implementation procedures performed to date, in addition to the expanded disclosure requirements, the Company currently anticipates the most significant adoption impacts will include (i) the recognition of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on its consolidated balance sheets, and (ii) the recognition of the remaining deferred gain associated with the sale-leaseback transactions that the Company entered into in July 2008 for its Elgin, Illinois and University Park, Illinois plant locations as a cumulative effect adjustment to opening retained earnings. As disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, the deferred gain as of December 31, 2017 totaled $10.6 million and is currently being amortized over the 15-year life of the respective leases.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230), Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Payments, which provides additional guidance on the financial statement presentation of certain activities in the statement of cash flows. The activities addressed by this guidance that may be relevant to the Company include cash payments for debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs, contingent consideration payments made after a business combination, proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims and proceeds from the settlement of corporate-owned life insurance policies, and the application of the predominance principle. The amendments in this ASU are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017 and interim periods within those fiscal years. The amendments in this ASU should be applied using a retrospective transition method to each period presented. If it is impracticable to apply the amendments retrospectively for some of the issues, the amendments for those issues would be applied prospectively as of the earliest date practicable. The Company adopted this guidance effective January 1, 2018 and concluded that it did not have a material impact on its historical cash flow presentation.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740), Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory. This guidance requires the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory to be recognized when the transfer occurs, instead of when the asset is sold to an outside party. The pronouncement is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim reporting periods within those annual reporting periods, with early adoption permitted. The amendments in this ASU should be applied on a modified retrospective basis, with an adjustment reflecting the cumulative effect of adoption being recorded directly to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. The Company adopted this guidance effective January 1, 2018 and concluded that it did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350), Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, which eliminates the second step of the two-step quantitative approach for testing goodwill for potential impairment. An entity will therefore perform the goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, and recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the fair value, not to exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. An entity still has the option to perform a qualitative assessment to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. ASU 2017-04 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 on a prospective basis, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted this guidance effective January 1, 2018, and will be applying the revised guidance prospectively to future goodwill impairment tests.

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-07, Compensation – Retirement Benefits (Topic 715), Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost. This guidance requires that entities present the service cost component of net periodic pension expense in the same income statement line items as other employee compensation costs. All other components of net periodic pension cost should be reported separately from the service cost component and outside a subtotal of operating income. The Company adopted this guidance effective January 1, 2018 following the retrospective method of adoption. The Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations have been recast to present components of net periodic pension cost other than service cost within Other expense (income), net.

The following table summarizes the impact of ASU 2017-07 on the Company’s previously reported Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations:



	Three Months Ended June 30, 2017									Six Months Ended June 30, 2017
(in millions)	As Reported			Impact of Adoption			As Adjusted			As Reported			Impact of Adoption			As Adjusted
Selling, engineering, general and administrative expenses	$	34.9		$	(0.1	)	$	34.8		$	66.4		$	(0.2	)	$	66.2
Other expense (income), net	(0.2		)	0.1			(0.1		)	(0.5		)	0.2			(0.3		)

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815), Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities, which intends to better align risk management activities and financial reporting for hedging relationships through changes to both the designation and measurement guidance for qualifying hedging relationships and presentation of hedge results. The amendments also make certain targeted improvements to simplify the application of the hedge accounting guidance by easing certain documentation and assessment requirements. ASU 2017-12 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The amendments in this ASU should be applied on a modified retrospective or prospective basis, depending on the area covered by the update. The Company adopted this guidance effective January 1, 2018 and concluded that it did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-02, Income Statement – Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, that permits entities to reclassify tax effects stranded in accumulated other comprehensive income as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “2017 Tax Act”) to retained earnings. ASU 2018-12 is effective for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The amendments in this ASU may be applied retrospectively or in the period of adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In March 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-05, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (“SAB 118”), which provides guidance on the accounting for the tax impact of the 2017 Tax Act. Under SAB 118, a company that has not completed its accounting for the effects of the 2017 Tax Act by its financial reporting deadline may report provisional amounts based on reasonable estimates for items for which the accounting is incomplete. Those amounts will be subject to adjustment during a measurement period of up to one year. As discussed in Note 5 – Income Taxes, the condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 include the Company’s provisional estimates of the impact of the 2017 Tax Act, in accordance with SAB 118. The Company may adjust the provisional amounts throughout the measurement period as the Company’s calculations are refined and additional interpretive guidance becomes available.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect (i) the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, (ii) the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and (iii) the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates and assumptions are used for, but are not limited to, revenue recognition, workers’ compensation and product liability reserves, asset impairment, pension and other post-retirement benefit obligations, income tax contingency accruals and valuation allowances, and litigation-related accruals. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Significant Accounting Policies

As described in Note 2 – Revenue Recognition, the Company’s revenue recognition accounting policy has been updated to reflect the adoption of Topic 606 on January 1, 2018. There have been no other changes to the Company’s significant accounting policies as disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.