This article examines systemic barriers to the inclusion of citizens in dam-failure risk management through a critical case study of collaborative contingency planning in a Swedish river basin. Drawing on qualitative interviews with key actors across local, regional, and national levels, supplemented by document analysis, the study indicates that institutional framings and long-standing governance arrangements position citizens as passive recipients rather than active contributors to risk management. The analysis identifies a persistent reliance on top-down practices, shaped by liability structures, fragmented responsibilities, and the characteristics of analytical safety-control problems associated with low-probability, high-impact risks. These governance dynamics constrain the perceived feasibility of integrating community knowledge and engagement into preparedness processes, particularly in risk communication, early warning, evacuation planning, and exercises. By examining how institutional actors understand the role of citizens, the study identifies conditions under which hybrid governance models combining expert authority with structured, phase specific public engagement may become feasible. The findings contribute to disaster risk reduction research by clarifying context-specific obstacles to participatory governance and by specifying how a cautious “first mile” orientation can strengthen preparedness in safety-critical risk domains without undermining legal accountability or emergency command.