Are you concerned about the equipment being stolen?
Are there any sensors already in place?
My second question, does anyone have any suggestions on where to start?
Yes. Find something similar and steal as much as you can.
For example, BroHogan has graciously published very detailed descriptions of what he has done sensing the environment and moving the data wirelessly...
As well as carl47...
Is this diviving too soon into the "Deep End"?
You know yourself better than anyone else so only you can answer that question.