EXHIBIT 31.1

CEO CERTIFICATION UNDER SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT

     I, Robert D. Welding, certify that:

          1. I have reviewed this annual report Form 10-K of Federal Signal
     Corporation;

          2. Based on my knowledge, this 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 annual 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 officer 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) 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
        report is being prepared;

             b) 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 in which this report is being prepared;

             c) 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
        reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant's internal
        control over financial reporting; and

          5. The Registrant's other certifying officer 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
     Registrant's board of directors:

             a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses 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: February 19, 2004

/s/ ROBERT D. WELDING
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Robert D. Welding
President and Chief Executive Officer