[*]As for who is responsible for the TRS, whatever agency that owns it. I would guess in this case it is Orange Co. I am sure they have a couple of folks that oversee it, but based on the size of the Orange Co., I would almost bet that a radio shop is contracted to keep the system up. As for approaching anyone, well in the past such queries are usually met with a stone wall; unless you know someone or have a "inside" track.
It just so happens that a field tech that works for the local franchise holder that services that brand system ( drives a white van with the Big Blue M******* ) lives two doors down and pleads ignorance on the whole subject of TRS. So much for the inside info.
[*]As for it being noise filled, remember, whatever you are hearing, is what everyone on the system is hearing. If you can't understand it, neither can anyone else. It would seem to me that whatever agency you are listening to probably isn't too happy with the performance either. There is the possibility that you are hearing a patched communication, which basically means that the agency you are hearing is not on the TRS at all and hence doesn't care if the TRS is noisy.
The patched comms makes perfect sense since it is obviously is a rural VFD and needs mutual aid from the numerous VFD's in this predominately rural county from time to time.
[*]In relation to outside agency use of a TRS; most of the time this is accomplished by the TRS parent agency (or an entity on the TRS) supplying radios for a temporary operation. Sometimes regional task forces may indeed have radios programmed for several regional TRS' with the appropriate permissions. For an example think of the various Gulf Coast task forces around (violent offenders, drug, regional fugitive, etc.) and how it is beneficial for the agents/officers to have communication no matter where they are in the region. Obviously little used TG's don't come up very often and so are never identified. That may be the case for your 4720 TG.
Once again your conjecture is logical and probably spot-on.
[*]As for how they get identified, by folks like you and me (and the rest of the users here and elsewhere) just listening, recording, logging and figuring it out. Unless you can get your hands on a TG breakdown from the system administration (highly unlikely), then the only way to figure them out is to listen.
Lou, many thanks once again for sharing your knowledge and experience. I have never been one to just idly sit by and listen without wondering and trying to understand the "hows & whys" of the systems and their protocols.
