Millersville University officials did not ask an anti-terrorism task force to help provide security for next month's controversial appearance by Bill Ayers, university spokeswoman Janet Kacskos said Thursday.

Randy Gockley, a member of the executive board of the South Central Task Force, confirmed Kacskos' statement.

Gockley said Greg Noll, the task force's program manager. proposed to university officials during "informal talks" that the Ayers lecture on March 19 could be used as a training exercise for 20 regional police officers.

"The idea was that the William Ayers visit was something we could incorporate into a real-world (training) event," said Gockley, the county's emergency management coordinator.

Ayers, an urban education expert and former Vietnam-era radical, is expected to attract supporters and protesters for his lecture, which has stirred controversy from the day it was announced.

Ayers, 64, is coming to Millersville to talk to students about his work and ideas regarding urban education in America, not his radical past, which became an issue during the presidential campaign.

Noll confirmed Gockley's account.

"Millersville University never sought our assistance," Noll said. "That was totally erroneous."

Noll was referring to a story published on the front page of Thursday's New Era. The New Era is published by Lancaster Newspapers Inc, which also publishes the Intelligencer Journal.

The New Era reported that Millersville University officials asked the task force "to provide security" during Ayers' visit.

"It was not like that at all," Gockley said.

Kacskos added, "They contacted us and said, 'Hey, would you be interested if we could do this as a training exercise?'

"Our police chief said, 'Of course we would be interested.' "

There is a meeting scheduled today between Millersville officials and task force leaders to draw up final plans for how the task force will be involved during the Ayers event, Kacskos said.

After the informal discussions, which took place at least three weeks ago, Millersville officials followed procedure and filled out paperwork to allow the Task Force to hold its training session on campus, according to Gockley.

"(The paperwork) was to take care of any liability issues," Gockley said. "It was a mutual decision."

Gockley said the task force, which covers nine counties including Lancaster, holds bi-annual training sessions for its emergency responders, using federal Department of Homeland Security funds. Those funds will be used to pay for the task force's involvement in the Ayers' visit.

If costs are higher than expected and those funds are not sufficient, Kacskos said the money would come from private donations to the university, not taxpayers' money.

Kacskos said concern for security during the Ayers' event is similar to what the university experiences when a figure such as Gov. Ed Rendell, who visited the campus Thursday, visits MU. Rendell can draw protesters, as he did during the presidential campaign last fall.

"We want to be prepared," Kacskos said. "We're not saying it's unsafe, but we want to make sure that we are prepared and the safety of the students and the safety of the campus is at the forefront of our planning."

Noll said Millersville will have jurisdiction over security decisions and the task force will play more of a "passive role" during Ayers' visit.

Gockley said Pennsylvania in 1997 — four years before the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 — formed nine regional anti-terrorism task forces to streamline emergency responses in the event of a terrorist attack or other catastrophe.

Craig Stedman, Lancaster County district attorney, said his office will be available for security assistance if called upon.

"(Ayers) has the absolute right to speak," Stedman said. "The university has an absolute right to invite him, and law enforcement has a responsibility to do everything we can to keep the peace.

"Whether we agree with him or not, we'll do our job regardless of who the person is, as we've done in the past."

The county's Republican delegation in the state Legislature has been vocal in its criticism of Millersville University for bringing Ayers to its campus.

E-mail: dpidgeon@lnpnews.com