AN ACR FO CRITICIZES HIS CAPT'S PERFORMANCE IN AN EMER DSCNT SITUATION.

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LEVELING AT FL240 WITH ICE PROTECTION TURNED OFF BUT TAIL DE-ICE STILL GOING ON; THE R ICE PROTECT TEMP HIGH LIGHT CAME ON. FO GAVE CAPT THE CHKLIST FOR THE PROB. CAPT FOLLOWED CHKLIST AND CLOSED R PNEUMATIC XFEED THAT PUT OUT LIGHT. FO THEN FELT EARS POPPING AND SAW CAPT ADJUSTING CABIN ALT SELECTOR. CABIN VVI WAS UP TO 2000 FPM CLB. FO CALLED OUT CABIN GOING THRU 8000 FT; THEN 8500 FT. CAPT SAID HE WAS GOING MANUAL PRESSURIZATION AND STARTED ADJUSTING VALVE WHEEL. CABIN WENT TO 10000 FT AND WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. FO PUT OXYGEN MASK ON; CAPT TOLD ATC WE NEEDED TO DSND; THEN FO BEGAN EMER DSCNT; FO DECLARED EMER PASSING FL220. PAX MASKS DEPLOYED AND ALL PAX PUT ON MASKS. FO LEVELED AT 10000 FT AND CAPT CALLED LEVELING TO ATC. CTR SAID THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS. CAPT TOLD PAX THEY COULD TAKE OFF MASKS. REST OF FLT UNEVENTFUL. I BELIEVE SEVERAL THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN DONE BETTER; LOOKING BACK: 1) CAPT SHOULD HAVE GONE MANUAL PRESSURIZATION IMMEDIATELY INSTEAD OF TRYING TO USE CABIN ALT SELECTOR. 2) FO OR CAPT SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY DECLARED EMER SO ATC COULD HELP AVOID CONFLICTS IF NECESSARY BEFORE DSCNT. THIS IS NOT TO PRECLUDE THE PLT AVIATING FIRST; THEN NAVING; AND FINALLY COMMUNICATING; BUT WE COULD HAVE COMMUNICATED QUICKER. 3) CAPT DID NOT PUT ON MASK QUICKLY ENOUGH. HE WANTED TO TALK TO PAX; BUT BEGAN TO GET HYPOXIC ACCORDING TO HIM. FO REMINDED HIM; ASKED HIM TO RUN ENTIRE CHKLIST. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 320616: THE SENIOR FLT ATTENDANT CAME FORWARD TO CONFIRM OUR PROB; SINCE THE PAX OXYGEN MASKS HAD DROPPED. I DIRECTED HER TO ENSURE ALL CREW AND PAX WERE ON OXYGEN. TALKING AGAIN WITH ATC; I INFORMED HIM WE HAD EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF PRESSURIZATION AND WERE DSNDING TO 10000 FT. HE SAID WE HAD NOT BEEN ISSUED CLRNC AND I DECLARED AN EMER. THIS ALL OCCURRED WITHIN 1000 FT OF LEAVING FL240. THINGS PROGRESSED SO FAST THAT WE WERE DELAYED IN USING THE 'E' WORD. I SHOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER EARLIER.