It sounds like your area is now covered by a simulcast system. This limits the number of proper scanners to the SDS100 portable or SDS200 base scanners.
I likewise started by putting specific frequency crystals in radios, so trust me that if you know how to use a windows PC it's very manageable. With trunked simulcast type 1 and 2 P25 repeater systems, it's not like the old days. Although I have programmed these manually into a radio, you don't want to other than to fully understand all the details, you don't have to.
The free Sentinel software is designed for the radio, and to handle this task fairly easily.
I own both radios as well as the 436 and 536, which do not handle simulcast very well. If you are not restrained by resources, the SDS100 and SDS200 are what you are looking for.
You can use the software to update any progamming changes to your local system and narrow your listening just to fire and plow operations for your local area and not the hundreds of other stuff on these systems.
So if you can find your way around a windows PC, this is your solution. If the PC is an issue, you need to find someone with PC to do an initial radio setup and favorites list (your specific desired listening) and then the radio is probably good for a good while before it needs programming, as long as your new system is getting mature enough to have everything on it you want to listen to.
The above stuff is pretty accurate, but one correction, you DO NOT NEED A RADIO REFERENCE SUBSCRIPTION to use this software. Connection to the database is built into Sentinel. You will need a subscription if you use 3rd party software to program tour scanner.
Good luck.