FEDERAL SIGNAL CORP /DE/ - 10-Q filing on 2015-04-30

Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		72 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	36 Months Ended	4 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended				7 Months Ended	10 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	4 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2012 Plaintiff	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013 plaintiff	Dec. 31, 2008 Plaintiff	Dec. 31, 2004 plaintiff case	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009 Plaintiff Case	Apr. 22, 2011 Plaintiff	Apr. 22, 2011	Jan. 12, 2015 Plaintiff	Dec. 31, 2009 plaintiff	Dec. 31, 2012 Plaintiff	Nov. 30, 2011 Plaintiff	Jan. 31, 2015 Case Plaintiff	Dec. 31, 2014 Plaintiff	Oct. 31, 2012 Plaintiff Case	Mar. 31, 2014 case	Jun. 30, 2014 case	Mar. 31, 2014 Plaintiff	Jul. 31, 2013 Plaintiff	Feb. 28, 2015 Plaintiff	Nov. 04, 2014	Apr. 22, 2014	Jan. 04, 2011 Plaintiff	Apr. 29, 2011
Commitments Disclosure [Line Items]
Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock		$ 3.6	$ 0
Stock Repurchase Program, Authorized Amount																							75.0	15.0
Amount outstanding standby letters of credit		36.5
Reserves related to environmental remediation		1.3														1.3
Number of plaintiffs cases dismissed	2
Reimbursement		0.1	0.1
Minimum
Commitments Disclosure [Line Items]
Warranty maturity periods		1 year
Latvian Commercial Case Range of Loss		0
Maximum
Commitments Disclosure [Line Items]
Warranty maturity periods		5 years
Latvian Commercial Case Range of Loss		5.0
Circuit Court Of Cook County
Commitments Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of additional cases filed by firefighters						33		6				6
Number of plaintiffs				74		2,443
Number of cases of plaintiff's claims					27
Number of claimants settled																									308
Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County
Commitments Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of additional cases filed by firefighters								71				71
Number of plaintiffs								71
Loss Contingency, Claims Dismissed, Number								3
Number of cases of plaintiff's claims								4
Damages maximum amount							0.1
Damages subsequently reduced, minimum amount							0.08
Number of claimants settled																									1,125
Settlement Agreement
Commitments Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of plaintiffs									1,069
Claims settled amount				3.8
Percentage of claimants agreed for settlement									95.02%	95.02%																93.00%
Percentage of claimants agreed for settlement as per settlement agreement																										100.00%
Settlement Agreement payment made										(3.6)
Supreme Court of Kings County New York
Commitments Disclosure [Line Items]
Loss Contingency, New Claims Filed, Number		4
Outside Chicago Firefighter Plaintiffs
Commitments Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of plaintiffs											1,800
Outside Chicago Firefighter Plaintiffs \| Circuit Court Of Cook County
Commitments Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of plaintiffs						1,800
Pennsylvania Firefighter Plaintiffs \| Circuit Court Of Cook County
Commitments Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of plaintiffs												299
Chicago Firefighter Plaintiffs
Commitments Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of additional cases filed by firefighters								40				40
Number of plaintiffs	3												3	8
Chicago Firefighter Plaintiffs \| Minimum
Commitments Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of plaintiffs												9
Chicago Firefighter Plaintiffs \| Maximum
Commitments Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of plaintiffs												40
Chicago Firefighter Plaintiffs \| Circuit Court Of Cook County
Commitments Disclosure [Line Items]
Plaintiff's counsel later moved to reduce the number of plaintiff												9
Claims settled amount												0.4
Philadelphia Firefighter Plaintiffs \| Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County
Commitments Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of additional cases filed by firefighters																	20
Number of plaintiffs							9								70	3	20
Loss Contingency, Claims Dismissed, Number																		5
Loss Contingency, New Claims Filed, Number															2
Loss Contingency, Number of Cases Scheduled																			7
District of Columbia Firefighter Plaintiffs \| Federal Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Commitments Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of plaintiffs															11
Loss Contingency, New Claims Filed, Number															1
Pittsburgh Firefighter Plaintiffs \| Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County
Commitments Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of plaintiffs																				61
Loss Contingency, Claims Dismissed, Number																				32
Pittsburgh Firefighter Plaintiffs \| Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Commitments Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of plaintiffs																					247
Loss Contingency, Claims Dismissed, Number																					41
Buffalo Firefighter Plaintiffs \| Supreme Court of State of New York Erie County
Commitments Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of plaintiffs		193
Loss Contingency, New Claims Filed, Number		20
New York City Firefighter Plaintiffs \| Supreme Court of State of New York, New York County
Commitments Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of plaintiffs																						1