Hi,
Previous experience on the MD83... The tail stairs are hydraulic and closed by a manual lever on a/c left. The door opens internally, is closed by rotating the handle towards the right. The door is armed by placing the flap from the up position to the down position. (This reveals a perspex covered emergency lever. If you pull this lever the tail cone is jettisoned and the slide should inflate)... If it doesn't, a walkway drops from the ceiling when you raise the stairs. You have to run to the tail cone and pull the manual jettison handle, and then kick the slide bustle overboard to inflate it.
Hope this helps.