I'm a firefighter with a rural fire district looking for some advice

I've been flying an old Phantom 2 for the past three years over hundreds of unoccupied acres. Lots of variation in terrain so it's been a great training area. A friend repaired it after one of his co-workers crashed it and damaged it badly. He lent it to me and I've used it to keep track of fences, livestock and potential predators until last this year.

One of his grandsons became interested in drones so I gave it back and my dear wife bought me a little Mini 3 for Christmas. A week ago I read an article about drone usage in wildland fire situations.

I may not feel like I'm in my 70s but sometimes my body decides it needs to remind me and I know my time on the line is limited. Our district covers over 600 sq miles of land that is at high risk for fire and every summer we get numerous calls about smoke sightings. Rural fire districts perform initial attack on wildland fires. We generally get to fire starts before the state and federal agencies show up. Sending up a drone to check out smoke sightings can save a lot of fuel and equipment wear and tear. If there is a fire and we get to it first I can provide overwatch and provide information so the IC can determine the best access, safety zones, anchor point, and exit routes. Because we're in communication with state and federal resources I'll be on the ground long before any manned air assets arrive on scene. This could be a great way to stay active with the district for as long as possible. I'm working on my COA right now. Long range weather prediction is for a hotter, dryer summer than normal for my area so I'm working to get all my ducks in line early.

All of that lead up to ask a simple question. What would you more experienced pilots recommend I buy to accomplish this mission. I'm not a photographer or cinematographer. I need something that can handle winds and unstable air but since money is drying up for fire districts fast I'm going to fund this one out of my own pocket so value is paramount.

Thanks for the help.