Emergency warning device and method

A highly visible display system for persons outside a commercial building comprising:

• a deployable display structure which is compressed for storage and deployed on demand to provide a highly visible display area for readily being viewed by said persons;
• said highly visible display area of said display structure having indicia inscribed thereupon for displaying a message to said persons;
• an enclosure adapted for installation to a portion of said building having an internal storage compartment for providing said storage of said display structure and having a deployment opening through which said display structure is deployed external to said building;
• a first deployment unit associated with said enclosure and connected to said display structure for deploying said structure from a stored position within said storage compartment to a fully deployed position by way of said deployment opening;
• activation unit for activating said first deployment unit when a first electrical signal is received from said building by said activation unit;
• and
• said first deployment unit including a container having a fluid under pressure which is released through a supply conduit into said display structure for deploying said display structure when said first deployment unit is activated by said actuation unit.

A method for providing an emergency warning signal highly visible to persons approaching an entrance to a commercial building under siege, said method including the steps of;

• a) installing an enclosure to a portion of said building, said enclosure having and internal storage compartment with a deployment opening disposed to an exterior of said building;
• b) storing an inflatable signalling structure within said compartment of said enclosure by way of said deployment opening, said signalling structure having a warning indicia inscribed thereupon;
• c) providing a deployment unit connected to said signalling structure for deploying said signalling structure from said compartment when said deployment unit is activated so that said deployable signalling structure can present a highly visible display area with said indices located on said display area;
• and
• d) deploying said stored signalling structure from within said internal storage compartment through said deployment opening of said enclosure by activating said deployment unit to deploy said signalling structure to the exterior of the building, wherein said indicia on said highly visible display area gives said emergency warning signal;
• and
• e) providing a display area on said inflatable structure of up to about 450 square feet when said structure fully deployed.

A method for providing an emergency warning signal highly visible to persons approaching an entrance to a commercial building under siege, said method including the steps of;

• a) installing an enclosure to a portion of said building, said enclosure having and internal storage compartment with a deployment opening disposed to an exterior of said building;
• b) storing a deployable signalling structure within said compartment said enclosure by way of said deployment opening, said signalling structure having a warning indicia inscribed thereupon;
• c) providing a deployment unit connected to said signalling structure for deploying said signalling structure from said compartment when said deployment unit is activated so that said deployable signalling structure can present a highly visible display area with said indices located on said display area;
• and
• d) deploying said stored signalling structure from within said internal storage compartment through said deployment opening of said enclosure by activating said deployment unit to deploy said signalling structure to the exterior of the building, wherein said indicia on said highly visible display area gives said emergency warning signal;
• e) deactivating the deployment unit to allow the signalling structure to be deflated;
• and
• f) reinstalling a signalling structure within said internal storage compartment of said enclosure, said reinstalling step including providing one of either another or the same deployable signalling structure having a storable configuration for repeating said steps of storing and deploying said deployable signalling structure.